A Cloak of Protection
by Twilight Sky
Summary: KxK, Kyoto Arc Shishio is about to go up against Kenshin. To be able to guarantee himself a sure win, Shishio has Kaoru hurt and kidnapped. Can Kenshin win against Shishio even when protecting Kaoru?
1. Beginning Pain

Author's Note: All I've been doing is reviewing other people's stories. Well, now here it is! This is my first fic, I suppose. And I totally support Kenshin/Kaoru! So expect a lot of that... --; This fanfic is based on the Kyoto Arc. Its events are the same, except the plot is different. Some information may be incorrect, but bear with me on that!  
  
Also, this fic includes Soujirou in OOC-ness. This is necessary for the plot to unfold. Don't worry, Soujirou fans--your cute little Tenken will be alright.

**SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! There will be spoilers for the Kyoto Arc of the Rurouni Kenshin series, otherwise known as the 'Legend of Kyoto'. Don't read if you don't know about that! (you know, with Shishio and the Juppongatana). Or..uh...read if you want to be spoiled...for I will be including the events from the Kyoto Arc into this fic!**  
  
Disclaimer: I'll just say this: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but neither do you (unless you're Nobuhiro Watsuki, of course). However, this story idea is purely mine.

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**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 1: Beginning Pain**

DAY ONE--11:00 am  
  
Kamiya Kaoru dimly heard her shoes slap against the dry dirt, as she heaved in huge gasps of air. Still running, she swiveled her head to throw a fearful glance behind her, and her heart leaped into her throat. They were gaining on her. They, with their masked faces and shiny-tipped swords, lunging at her, speeding up.  
  
Kaoru threw herself forward, silky raven hair flying behind her, and sprinted even faster. If she only had her trusty wooden sword! Then she wouldn't have been running away from these men, instead fighting against them. Kaoru heard cloth ripping and realized that that was her beautiful blue kimono tearing at the hem, as she sprinted faster and faster.  
  
The shoes on Kaoru's feet began to feel vaguely uncomfortable, slowing Kaoru down. Frantically, Kaoru kicked them off, almost tripping in the process. Her lungs burned with the effort of running and her throat felt bloody, ragged. _Oh, where was Kenshin? She had to make it back to the dojo!  
  
_Suddenly, she felt a searing pain in her left shoulder. Staggering, she quickly clasped the folds of her blue kimono on her left shoulder in pain, feeling warm, sticky liquid beginning to pour out. Still she ran from these men. _Oh, why were they after her?!  
_  
As Kaoru dashed through the forest, the tall grass visibly slowing her, black dots began to swim in front of her eyes. The warm blood was seeping down her left arm now, running down her back, trickling down her breast. The trees to the side of Kaoru wavered, becoming brown and green blurs as she raced by them. Behind her, she dimly registered the sound of the falling trees as her pursuers swung their swords into them, trying to clear a path.  
  
Kaoru ran, ran as if her life depended on it. Which it did, she thought, as salty, glistening tears ran down her face. The burning red pain in Kaoru's shoulder became white-hot as Kaoru forced herself on, breathing heavily. The black dots swimming in front of her eyes started to merge together, and Kaoru realized that she was losing blood very quickly.  
  
Kaoru heard a boyish yell right behind her, then. Feeling her heart seize up in fear, she pushed herself even faster, the pain in her left shoulder exploding. Chancing a quick glance behind her to see how far away she was from her pursuers, she was horrified to see a teenage boy, face contorted with concentration, right on her heels. And a blade flashed as he thrust it toward her.  
  
Kaoru couldn't block it. She was already weak from the effort of running and the heavy loss of blood. Staring in calm disbelief, she watched the blade coming faster to her; sinking through her slender right side with a horrible sound, piercing through to her front side. In the split second that the blade stayed in Kaoru, she felt a terrible obstruction in her right side. She couldn't breathe around it, let alone move, else the blade cut even deeper. So it was just an awful feeling of barely-tinged pain when the teenage boy pulled out the now blood-dripping blade. She mentally berated herself for not dodging in time.  
  
Then the pain hit.  
  
Waves of pain, showers of it, rained down on Kaoru. She could barely think, let alone run from these men. Tears streamed down her paper-white cheeks, her mouth in a tight grimace from the pain. Her side and shoulder flared in fireworks of pain.  
  
Kaoru took a few steps, bare feet numbly skimming soundlessly on the carpet of grass. Then, suddenly, quickly, the ground started to tip. The black dots from before turned a blazing red, fully blocking out her vision in a deep haze of red. The earth tilted crazily, wavering, tipping. And Kaoru felt herself falling through a cloud of pain, vision clouded.  
  
It seemed centuries before Kaoru hit the grassy dirt, her side searing from the sharp impact. The throbbing pain exploded full-out, weaving together, bursting, flowing. Her head whirled in a state of dizziness.  
  
Then everything went black.

---------------  
  
The boy lowered his shiny blade, which was now dripping blood. Battousai's girl's blood. He sharply flicked the blade around, spraying droplets of blood everywhere. The sound of pounding feet thundered on the dirt ground, and he turned around to see the hired black-clothed men running up to him.  
  
"Is she dead?" a sweating man inquired, ripping off his mask.  
  
The boy sneered, the corner of his lip twitching. As it always did. "Not quite yet," he responded, stepping back from the other man's b.o. (A/N: I just had to put that in there... --;). The boy slid his bloody sword back into his sheath and threw his head back, feeling the cold wind wafting through his dark hair and cooling down his flushed cheeks, pink from joyful exercise. The other men stared at him, waiting for a clearer answer.  
  
The teenage boy responded, "The girl is just badly wounded, but at the rate that her blood is dripping, she won't just be wounded." His eyes glinted, as he thought back on his orders from Shishio-san. Shishio-san had given him orders to capture the Battousai's woman and bring her back alive (and have the hired inferiors to the Juppongatana helping him, though he had protested feebly). That way, Shishio-san would catch the Battousai at a disadvantage. Whether or not Shishio-san admitted it, he would not have a good chance at defeating the unleashed Battousai. If, Shishio-san said, Battousai had to protect his girl and also himself, he could beat the Battousai quite easily indeed.  
  
Then the boy's eyes flared in a rare moment of frustration and dismay. A crucial demand... Shishio-san had clearly ordered him to bring back Battousai's girl alive...  
  
Scowling, the boy turned to Shishio's hired black-clothed men. "Shishio-san had said to bring back the girl alive," he told the men angrily. "If she is to remain alive 'til we bring her to Shishio-san, we must take her to him now." Images of how furious the bandage-bound ex-hitokiri would be if the girl were dead danced in his mind--even if he WAS Shishio-san's best fighter. The boy shoved the thought away hastily and stooped down next to the unconscious late-teen girl. She was sprawled, unconscious, on her right side, where one of her ghastly wounds were. Her silky, shimmering sheet of raven hair had come out of its cobalt blue ribbon, so her hair was splayed across the ground. The ground itself was soaked with her flowing red blood.  
  
The boy pulled the unconscious girl over onto her back, wrenching her left arm in the process. The girl moaned in pain, ebony hair surrounding her pained face, and the boy noticed the gaping wound on her left shoulder. Scowling even deeper, the teenager thought, At least the Battousai will be pretty angry about the wounds on his girl, that he'll try extra hard to protect her. _Then Shishio-san will win!!_

This fresh thought brought a quick smile to his lips, causing him to feel happy once again. Slipping a slender, pale arm under the girl's silky raven-haired head, and slipping his other arm under the girl's knees, he slowly stood up with the girl in his arms. Her hair hung down, swaying and catching the light. The blue highlights in the black glimmered.  
  
From this angle, she looked even worse. Her face was a deathly white, and looked even worse compared to the bright red blood still flowing from her shoulder wound. The blue kimono was ripped at the hem where she had stumbled, and the side of her magenta obi was stained a deep red from the wound that he had given her. The teenager turned and gestured with a tilt of his dark-haired head that it was time to go. The hired black-clothed men nodded and followed him, as he left for Shishio-sama's current residing village, with the Battousai's wounded girl in his arms.

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2:30 pm  
  
Kenshin, with a soapy hand, brushed aside the long-swept red bangs covering his bright amethyst eyes. A wet, soapy trail was left on his forehead as Kenshin tucked his fiery hair behind his ears. Throwing his head back, he gazed up at the bright cerulean sky just overhead, swept with the faintest hint of cotton-candy cloud.  
  
Kenshin laid his right hand onto the wet concrete floor and resolutely stood up, allowing the now clean but soaked cloth drop from the fingers of his left hand, into the wooden bucket where he was washing the other garments. The breeze swirled around Kenshin, causing his wet and bare arms (his sleeves were tied in back with a string) to prickle, though the day was warm. In the distance, Kenshin could hear little Ayame and Suzume playing ball with the disgruntled Yahiko, heard their shrieks of joy, heard Yahiko fall down yet again as the ball crashed resolutely against his chest.  
  
Suddenly, the breeze picked up sharply, blowing back Kenshin's hair, whipping his clothes back and forth. Kenshin froze. He had sensed something, with that brilliant sense of his that had come from learning the Hiten Mitsurugi style.  
  
A whiff of metallic blood came with the next heavy gust of wind. Kenshin sharply jerked his head up, hands suddenly clenching into tight fists. Kaoru-dono. Kenshin couldn't explain how he knew. He just knew Kaoru-dono was in trouble, was in trouble somewhere.  
  
This late morning, Kaoru-dono, wearing that beautiful blue kimono of hers, had approached Kenshin as he started the laundry.  
  
Kenshin had glanced up at her, setting down the bucket of water. He noticed the dark blue highlights in her beautiful raven hair instantly, marveling at her beauty. Then a blush slowly crept over his face, and he snapped his attention to her.  
  
"Nani de gozaru ka, Kaoru-dono?"  
  
Kaoru-dono showed him a tiny basket she was carrying, covered by a brilliant red-and orange colored silk cloth.  
  
"This is for Tae-it's her birthday today," Kaoru-dono had responded, lifting the corner of the cloth and displaying a shiny red box of brown Western candy in the basket. Kenshin remembered that Kaoru-dono had once said it was chocolate.

He smiled up at Kaoru-dono, shielding his eyes from the bright morning sun. "That's very nice of you, that it is, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin had responded, feeling a surge of love for Kaoru and her kindness. "Perhaps sessha will go over to the Akabeko today, if sessha has time." He fingered a garment that was sitting in the water-filled wooden tub.  
  
Kaoru smiled at him, making Kenshin's heart pound frantically, and left, calling out a good-bye as she left for the Akabeko.  
  
Kenshin felt a tight queeze in his heart as he remembered what had happened only a few hours ago. If anyone had hurt Kaoru-dono.... He felt his eyes flash deep amber for a second, then the amethyst Rurouni eyes returned. Reaching for his right sleeve, he untied the string quickly and did the same to his left sleeve. He ran to the dojo's door, leaving the tub of unfinished laundry behind.  
  
Running down the hall almost at his god-like speed, Kenshin reached his room and flung open the door. There, against a stack of clean blankets and a rolled-up futon, his Sakabatou lay. Kenshin snatched it up and practically thrust it into his hakama (A/N: is this right?). Then he dashed out of the dojo's gates and to the Akabeko in town, hoping against hope that he was dreadfully wrong and that Kaoru-dono was all right; just chatting it up with Tae and Tsubame.

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3:00 pm  
  
Shishio smiled lazily, feeling his eyes narrow in the hot waves of steam wafting from the surface of his bath. And he MEANT hot. Even he was starting to feel the heat.  
  
Shishio glanced over appreciatively at the beautiful woman sitting next to him in the bath. Her porcelain pale skin was now flushed a violent red from the heated bath water, the heat coming from the wonderful hot springs around this village. She smiled up at him, red lips a bit swollen from the heat. Shishio, feeling relaxed from the finally satisfying bath water, brought his unbandaged arm out of the water, the old brown burns sizzling with heat, and laid it around Yumi's bare shoulders. She didn't even flinch from the extra burst of boiling heat.  
  
Today, when Shishio had desired a hot bath, he had been surprised when Yumi had almost shyly declared herself needing a hot bath too. Shishio had smirked a little, doubting Yumi's response to the boiling water, but so far she hadn't complained. Now, Shishio's lips twitched a little in appreciation, and also a bit of wonder at Yumi's brave manner.  
  
Yumi leaned against Shishio's bare, burned chest, sighing in happiness. This was practically the only time that she and Shishio had really done anything romantic, besides one little picnic outside, in the grassy fields of the village they were now currently inhabiting. And that boy, Soujirou, had been there. A bit of the happy bubbles inside Yumi popped explosively as she thought of Soujirou--how he was always aiding Shishio. Yumi knew Shishio appreciated this; she was just jealous because she really didn't do anything. All she was was Shishio's woman.  
  
But wasn't that good enough? Yumi had to admit that it was. She felt Shishio's coarse hand tickling her bare, smooth back, travelling lower...  
  
Then came a loud, resounding rap at the wooden door.  
  
Shishio yanked his 'travelling' hand off Yumi. Yumi gave a vehement groan and leaned back against the bath wall, biting her lip in crushed expectations.  
  
Shishio quickly bandaged himself, tying it off expertly. He had been doing this for several good years now; he accomplished the task in less than a minute. Yumi sprang out of the bath and quickly toweled herself down, slipping on her flowing dress.  
  
"Who is it?" Shishio called impatiently, angry at the disturbance. If it was Senkaku, he was going to bash his lumpy egg-shaped head in.  
  
"Shishio-san? It's Soujirou, with what you wanted."  
  
Shishio felt his anger dissipating like the steam escaping from his body. "Perfect," he murmured, licking his lips in anticipation of what was going to happen. He would love seeing the lengendary Battousai kneeling at his feet.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED

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Author's Note: Tired... stupid ol' homework... --; The next chapter will be out in a few days!

-Twilight Sky


	2. Dawning Realizations

Author's Note: WOO-HOO! Thanks to my first five reviewers, I've been inspired to update SO quickly... around a chapter a day! Arigatou! Oh, this is supposed to be the third chapter but since I combined the first two chapters, it's now the second chapter. Oh well.... On with the story!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
rurouni madness: Yes I so agree!! Oh, your wish might not be fulfilled; there'll be a lot of chapters between the kidnapping and the saving. Maybe I'll find a way to stick in Misao! I think I will, because in the original story, doesn't Kenshin run into Misao before fighting Shishio? Anyhow, thank you!  
  
GoldAngel2: Yes, I've wondered that also. Kenshin's Achilles Heel-that's a nice metaphor! And thank you for your compliments!  
  
Disclaimer: This fic idea is mine but the characters aren't...

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**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 3: Dawning Realizations**DAY ONE-- 3:00pm  
  
Kenshin burst through the open wooden doors of the Akabeko. As he dashed through the restaurant and past the individual compartments, he kept muttering, "Gomen," as startled customers whipped their curious faces around to stare at him. He almost crashed into a waitress wearing a white and orange apron dress, and caught her before she could fall down.  
  
The waitress gripped his forearms, and glared up at him. "What do you think you're-Ken-san!" the waitress exclaimed. "What's wrong?" She stepped away from him and straightened her shiny brown bun, eyes narrowing in bewilderment.  
  
Kenshin just stared at her with wild amethyst eyes tinged with gold, breathing hard as if he'd just ran all the way from Kyoto. Kyoto. The very name brought up colorful images, tinged with guilt, horror, and sadness. Kenshin angrily shrugged away the memories and opened his mouth to speak sharply to Tae, the owner of the Akabeko.  
  
"Ka-Kaoru-dono. Where is she? Have you seen her?" He felt like he was capable of shaking the answer out of Tae. He knew something was wrong. Felt it, in his bones. Felt it, mostly, in his heart.  
  
Tae's doe eyes widened in deeper puzzlement. Fiddling with her white frilly apron strap, she replied, if a bit cautiously, "No... I haven't seen her at all, all day. Today, we were planning to hold a little birthday party for me at noon, but she never showed up."  
  
Kenshin caught a glistening glimmer of hurt in Tae's doe eyes, but she determinedly blinked it away. "Now it's 3:00, three hours past noon, and ... well..." She looked away. Then she looked back at him.  
  
"I know it isn't a very big deal," Tae continued softly, fingers playing with the knot in her tied apron. "But Kaoru-chan seemed so anxious about the little get-together. She was so enthusiastic and happy yesterday, when Tsubame proposed the idea to her." Tae glanced up sadly at him.  
  
Kenshin had been listening to Tae with growing horror. He knew Kaoru-dono would never intentionally hurt one of her good friends. His heart pounded frantically, making him feel like everyone in the Akabeko could hear it, though they were staring at him and Tae. Suddenly his palms felt clammy and moist. Where had Kaoru-dono gone to?  
  
Turning away from Tae, Kenshin began to hash over the hours of the day, trying to figure out the time span in which something happened to Kaoru- dono.  
  
At 6:00 am, he had woken up unusually early. He couldn't explain why-he felt a grim sense of foreboding.  
  
At 7:00am, he had stacked his blankets and rolled up his futon. He was just starting out to the kitchen to cook up some potatoes and bread for breakfast. As he worked, Kenshin had deliberately pulled out eight servings of food to prepare: on Saturdays, Sano, Ayame, Suzume, Megumi, and Dr. Gensai always came over either to exchange news, play, or freeload. Freeload was usually what they did.  
  
At 8:00am, Kenshin had finished cooking breakfast and served it out to the table. That feeling of apprehension had come again as he set out Kaoru- dono's place. His eyes lingered on her place at the table for a long time, until he wrenched himself away and started out of the kitchen doors to wake up Kaoru-dono and Yahiko.  
  
At 9:00am, the whole group had gathered and sat down to eat the lovely breakfast Kenshin had prepared. He remembered Ayame and Suzume exclaiming over the meal, and heard Yahiko putting down Kaoru-dono yet again on how her cooking compared to Kenshin's. At that time, Kenshin had felt a little guilty, though he couldn't explain why. He knew Kaoru-dono hated cooking, and loved it when he cooked.  
  
At 10:00 am, Kenshin had just finished washing the dishes and gathering up the huge load of dirty laundry. He was starting the laundry, scrubbing it in icy-cold water from the well, his magenta sleeves tied back with a white string.  
  
At 10:30 am, Kaoru-dono had come over to him as he worked, and showed him the present of chocolates she was going to give to Tae for her birthday.  
  
Kenshin's heart jumped-he had stumbled on what he was seeking. At 10:30, Kaoru-dono had left the dojo, setting out for the Akabeko. She had probably intended to be a bit early for the get-together, probably going to help Tae in the restaurant. That was the nice person Kaoru was, Kenshin remembered fondly.  
  
The regular walk to the Akabeko restuarant took about ten minutes. So something must have happened to Kaoru in those ten minutes...  
  
Kenshin sprang out of the recesses of his memory to the bustling noise of the Akabeko. Tae was staring at him, chocolate eyes wide in fear. "K-Ken- san? Do you need to sit down for a second? I'll get some tea for you..."  
  
Kenshin turned to Tae with a wobbly, grateful smile that he had to force on his lips. "Arigatou, Tae-dono, but I'll have to pass."  
  
And he flew out the doors of the restaurant, back to the Kamiya dojo. He was going to try to track down Kaoru-dono, trying to find what path she had taken, trying to find out what had happened to his Kaoru-dono.

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3:15 pm  
  
Kaoru hung limply in Soujirou's strong arms, hair swaying slightly, blood caked on her blue kimono with the pink-purple obi.  
  
Shishio felt a hint of a smile forming on his lips. Yumi strode over to stand next to him, glancing at the unconscious girl in Soujirou's arms.  
  
"You did well, Soujirou," Shishio announced to the happy boy. Then his eyebrows (A/N: Does he have eyebrows, or did they get burned off? -;) knit sharply together, and his bandaged hand reached out to harshly swipe away a drop of blood on her shoulder. He brought his hand up to look at the blood on his finger. "But what's this? Didn't I tell you I wanted her at least conscious enough? What, did you have to hack her up?"  
  
The boy smiled up at the bandaged mummy. "Shishio-san, it's much better this way," Soujirou announced cheerfully. "You see, if Himura-san, the Battousai, sees his girl seriously wounded and in deep pain, he'll go to even further depths to save her from any more pain. Then you'll be able to take him down. And as for the deep wounds, the girl is a terrific fighter- she put up such a good fight, the wounds were necessary to stop her long enough so to bring her to you." Soujirou nodded at Kaoru's deep, bloody wounds to emphasize his words.  
  
Shishio stood there thoughtfully, standing in front of Soujirou and beside the beauteous Yumi, licking off the drop of blood on his thumb while he thought. Then his face contorted into fury again.  
  
"Soujirou, you forget one crucial detail. If my friend Jin-e has taught me anything, he has shown me that the true Battousai emerges from that wimpy Rurouni whenever anyone close to him is in danger. Then he is unstoppable." Shisho's fingers curled into claws at this obstacle.  
  
Soujirou looked vaguely dismayed for a moment, then brightened with an idea. "Shishio-sama, whenever Battousai-san is about to slay you, then I or Yumi here" he indicated the silent (jealous from the attention Shishio is giving Soujirou) Yumi with a head gesticulation, "will stab the girl. And that will distract the Battousai enough so you can slay him instead you."  
  
Yumi shook with silent convulses as a grin slowly spread across Shishio's bandaged face. "I like your thinking, Soujirou," Shishio answered, fingering Kaoru's swaying long hair and twisting it in his fingers with unsuppressed glee.  
  
Yumi turned sharply on her heel and strode out of the steamy bath room. She had been so sure Shishio would get angry at Soujirou. Face flushing angrily, she stormed off down the hall.  
  
Meanwhile, back in the steamy bath room, Shishio fixed his cold, black hitokiri eyes on Soujirou, who was still carrying the limp and wounded Kaoru in his pale arms. "Take the girl to our base at the Six-Gated Temple," Shishio told the boy. "We'll meet you there shortly."

Shishio looked down at the limp form of Battousai's girl once again, marveling at the deep, bloody gashes Soujirou had managed to inflict on her (though he wouldn't doubt Soujirou's ability for even a millisecond), and swept out of the room, dark blue robe billowing behind him.  
  
Soujirou looked after Shishio for a long moment, then hefted the limp girl higher in his pale arms and strode purposefully out of the room, down the hall to Senkaku's room so to inform him of Shishio's news.

TO BE CONTINUED

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Author's Note: Well, this chapter was just not much action. And it's still short, according to my standards! Thanks for reading-I'll pop out a new chapter in a few days or so!  
  
-Twilight Sky 


	3. Restrained Terror

Author's Note: HAHAHA!!!!! I'm sooo happy!! Er, nothing else much to say...  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Xxoro-chanxX: o0 runs away screaming in fear Thank you though! I'm glad you liked it.  
  
Shiomei: Arigatou! IF you can call three days 'soon'!  
  
Goddess-Hope: laughs This chapter and all the others will be even more interesting, I hope...  
  
Arteme: Oh, don't worry! It was stupid of me to do 'Poetry' in the first place. And the eyebrow thing-I always did wonder, because his bandages covered his brows. And thanks! I really wanted it to make sense... my fics almost never do!  
  
rurouni madness: Yes, me too-Shishio is so awful! - Even though I'm the author, I can't wait to see what Kenshin will do also. And, thank you! (to my #1 reliable reviewer)  
  
d2k3001: Yes, but maybe there'll be a switch in the story... you never know! (I don't know either -)  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill. Must I repeat it?

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A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 3: Restrained Terror   
  
DAY ONE--3:45 pm  
  
Kenshin gradually slowed down as he neared the dojo's wooden gates, finally slowing to a stop in the shade of a willow tree and dropped his pale hands onto the knees of his white hakama (A/N: the pants, I think) and lowering his head. Fiery red hair tumbled down around his ashen face, hiding a spark of gold amber suddenly bursting to life in his amethyst eyes.  
  
Breathing hard, he stayed in that position for a long time, until he was able to straighten up and turn around, away from the dojo and facing the town.  
  
Kenshin glanced up at the calm blue sky, tinged with the faintest brush of white cloud. The glaring white of the sun still hung overhead, lower in the sky than it had been when he was about to start his large load of laundry. When Kaoru-dono was still here, at the dojo, telling him about Tae's birthday.  
  
The fresh thought sent a wave of pain and dizziness through his head. Kenshin snapped out of his thoughts, eyes flaring amber and then quickly reverting back to amethyst. The change was so sudden that one wouldn't have registered it.  
  
Staring ahead at the dirt road, he started forth to see where Kaoru-dono had gone. There were two ways she could have gone: the regular dirt path down to the shops, or into the shady, nearby woods for a shortcut. Kenshin tried out the dirt path first, planning to search for anything, ANYTHING, that might signify where Kaoru-dono had gone to. He just knew something bad had happened to her, his Kaoru-dono.  
  
A glint of amber flashed gold in his usually calm violet eyes, blazing with anger toward anyone who even dared tried to touch a dark hair on Kaoru's head. They better know that they were about to deal with the wrath of the hitokiri Battousai--had brought it on themselves.  
  
This time, the amber glint didn't fade back to amethyst for a long time, blazing like the fires of hell as Kenshin started down the dirt path.  
  
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4:30 pm  
  
She swam in a sea of the deepest black, tinged with raven blue. The pressure pressed down mercilessly, pounding away, throbbing. It was like being at the very bottom of the deepest ocean in all of the galaxies. A fog of dark black concealed everything to be seen in this ocean of pain and confusion.  
  
Suddenly, the deep black dimmed to a pale gray fog. Her eyelids struggled to open, feeling like 500-pound weights. Finally she wrenched them open, to be confronted by bright white light.  
  
"Ah--at last, you're up!" Kaoru vaguely heard someone to her right exclaim. A young boy, she thought foggily.  
  
Blinking in the bright light, she turned her fog-filled head to the right and saw a boy of around her age. He had dark floppy hair and wore a huge grin on his face. Pulled tightly onto his ankles and up to his knees were long knee socks. His western-style breeches complimented the strange outfit. The boy wore a blue jacket, whose left arm was tinged with a faint smudge of blood, and the chest was smeared slightly with more blood. Somehow, Kaoru felt that the blood wasn't the boy's.  
  
Kaoru observed all of this without really comprehending things, or what they really meant. Her eyelids, framed by dark thick lashes, started to close again, despite her valiant efforts of trying to keep them open.  
  
A muggy, cloudy thought ran through her numb, pounding head. This strange room, so unfamiliar to her, vibrated with such heavy, evil vibes... definitely evil.  
  
The thought snapped her eyes open again, sapphire eyes widening in horror.  
  
Then she finally remembered.  
  
The exhausting, frantic chase; the exploding, fiery red pain. The cobalt blue ribbon unknotting from her hair as she ran from the black-clothed masked men. Why are they after me? she vaguely remembered thinking, as she ran with all her might, as fast as her trained legs (from the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu training) could take her. But still, they had caught up to her.  
  
Someone, a teenager around her age, had caught up to her, while the slower black-clothed men had lagged behind. Then he had-then he had-  
  
Oh, kami-sama. That burst of red pain, as he had deftly shoved his sharp- pointed sword through her right side. That explosion of white-hot agony, as he pulled out the sword, flicking aside the blood. Her blood.  
  
Kaoru's right side and left shoulder began to throb, searing with pain. Oh yeah-she had gotten two pretty intense wounds. She was ready to bet that that teenager who had skewered her through the side like a piece of steamed tofu had also given her that painful shoulder slash.  
  
"Can you hear me?" a male voice asked her. The voice that belonged to that Western-dressed boy that had exclaimed over her awakening. That familiar voice...  
  
Kaoru stiffened again. That boy had practically KILLED her, had given her unbearable pain, had taken her to this Godforsaken place-Shishio's own headquarters and lounge!  
  
She angrily twisted her head to the right to glare at the smiling boy, and winced sharply, a lightning bolt of white-hot pain slicing through her left shoulder. "Wh-who are you?" she managed to get out through a cloud of pain.  
  
The boy's continuing smile infuriated her. How dare he grin at her pain? "My name is Soujirou Seta," he answered, placing a pale hand on her cheek, eyes twinkling in merriment. Kaoru noticed that he was kneeling beside her, on the green rug, while she lay on the soft couch, a washed-out yellow sheet draping it. She could see the wooden double doors from where she lay.  
  
Kaoru struggled to sit up, pressing the back of her left hand against the couch's back and placing her right hand flat onto the couch's seat. As she got up, her vision swam and pain erupted once more in her wounds. The room seemed to tilt crazily, and she fell back, dizzy.  
  
Kaoru's eyelids fluttered and opened, to see Soujirou leaning over her with that stupid grin still plastered on his face. He smilingly offered his right hand to her, which Kaoru took with her own. Finally, with Soujirou's help, she boosted herself painfully up to rest against the couch's back, feeling faint.  
  
"Ouch!" Kaoru whimpered, wincing, as her left shoulder banged against the couch's back. She turned her head to look at the deep gash in her left shoulder, still slightly bleeding. Blood caked on the shoulder and arm of her blue kimono.  
  
Directing her attention, she glanced down at her right side. This wound hurt the most of the two, as Soujirou here had pierced through her whole right side. Grimacing, she gingerly touched the lip of the wound, and jerked her hand away suddenly as waves of pain shot through her side. The blood was still flowing there, the wound too deep to close off yet.  
  
"That's a lot of blood there," Kaoru heard the boy say, and she lifted her sapphire eyes to throw him a quick glance. To her horror, he was staring at her bleeding, deep side gash with something like pride in his sparkling eyes. Swallowing her anger and disgust, she opened her lips to ask him a single, important question: "Where are we?"  
  
She just wanted to throttle him when he gave one of those awful grins again.  
  
"This is Shishio's headquarters--where he mainly is, if he isn't out conquering villages," Soujirou said with a slight smile. "Destroying the villages," he added, after a moment. Bloodlust flashed in his eyes.  
  
Kaoru, shuddering, tore her attention away from the smiling Soujirou and scanned Shishio's room with her eyes. Even now, she couldn't believe that she was here, actually here, in his headquarters. This was the place where Shishio made all of his horrible plans, which usually involved the murdering of many people. In this room, Shishio had also planned on how to defeat and kill Kenshin, Kaoru thought, a shudder passing through her pained body.  
  
Kaoru craned her swan's neck to see what was behind the couch. Behind, heavy red drapes hung on the wall (she wasn't even sure if that was really a wall, or if the red drapes were covering a secret passageway). Consecutive to the red-draped wall were the other three wooden walls.  
  
The room's rug was a shade of green, the rug covering a hardwood floor. Next to the cloth-draped couch stood a beautifully carved side stand. A large burning candle stood on the stand, offering the only light in the dim room.  
  
Then came a sudden, loud noise at the doors.  
  
Kaoru snapped to attention, fixing her eyes on the wooden doors directly opposite of her. A painful throb was again pounding in her left shoulder and right side, as her heart thudded loudly. She was sure Soujirou could hear her; perhaps even the people on the opposite side of the wooden doors could hear her too.  
  
The doors creaked open, and Kaoru kept her suddenly terrified gaze on whoever was to be revealed behind the doors. Soujirou's face had now acquired a beaming smile, but Kaoru's face was fearful, cerulean eyes large in her pale face. Her long dark hair fell around her shoulders, framing her pallid complexion.  
  
A long, dark shadow fell into the room. Shishio stood there, framed by the hall's light, silhouetted brilliantly like the feared demon he was. Bandages wound all around his lean, muscular body; tufts of hair sprung out from between the bandages at the top of his head; much of his body was covered by a dark blue robe. He held an aura of horrifyingly dark power around him, frightening to behold. Behind him, a beautiful pale- complexioned woman wore a sweeping red gown, edged in a yellow and black sash.  
  
Kaoru felt her heart thud quicker, in time to a 300-beat song.  
  
"Shishio," she whispered, finally managing to find her voice.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: I didn't like this chapter much, really. My mind kept drifting to other things, and I couldn't seem to muster up details. But here it is, and I hope you guys will be looking forward to the next chapter! (Hopefully, it'll be much more interesting than this one.)  
  
-Twilight Sky 


	4. Burning Encounter

Author's Note: Greetings... um, not much to say except I would just like to thank you all for reading!

Review Responses:  
  
Jumbo: Comments not appreciated, Jumbohead... - But you know, it is PG-13. But you're 14 already, aren't you? You should be as impure as Putt-putt is... Elmer, Jumbo, glad you guys liked! I DIDN'T LIKE WHEN YOU GUYS SAID YOU WERE FALLING ASLEEP!!! But that's alright, I suppose, when you guys can't take great literature like my fanfic! -;;;;; I'm making myself laugh, the thought is so ridiculous. Oh, Elmer, when you give me 14 punches/kicks, Mr. Stanley will notice and comment on it again! Hahaha!  
  
Shihali: I'm so sorry for making you feel that way... (now there's going to be a rally of apologies -;) About Okubo's assassination ...now there's a definite problem. I would just say that everything is booted up a day late- does that interfere with the real story? I hope that doesn't... Maybe I'll just discard the important event because it never happened in my fic... but that's disrespectful... AUGH!! Oh, um, the time thing is a bit strange, but time is always everyone's enemy. Yes, I agree, Kaoru's weight and Soujirou's weight, when put in a ratio, is quite bordering on impossible but let's just say that for now, hmm? - And, the Kyoto Arc timeline will be very useful, thank you! That way, I don't make any similar mistakes like this one on any future stories-thanks for all your research! I now know the full extent of how much Nobuhiro Watsuki wanted 'Rurouni Kenshin' to be based on history. Once again, thank you, and I apologize if I made you feel horrible!  
  
star0704: Yeah, it is short, isn't it? There'll be more chapters later on. I agree with the damsel in distress part-when I was editing it, I realized I was making Kaoru seem like one. That's when I stuck in the part about her wanting to fight back, though she didn't have her bokken.  
  
Arteme: Don't worry, Soujirou will later reveal why he's being so evil. And thanks for the nice compliments!  
  
Brittanie Love: Thank you! I will!  
  
rurouni madness: Thank you! Soujirou is being a bit evil, ne? I'm glad you like the waking-up part-I had a lot of trouble with that description.  
  
GoldAngel2: Yes, exactly what I wanted-Kenshin's fury with Shishio is a point I would like to make clear. It is important in the story's climax and conclusion. Whoa-I can't even think that far...At long last, you are the only one of my reviewers who understands that Soujirou must be evil for the plot to finally unfold.  
  
Disclaimer: Characters-not-mine-but-the-fanfic-idea-is-mine... I should copy and paste this statement every time I do a new chapter or a story. --;

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 4: Burning Encounter**DAY ONE--4:45 pm  
  
Kaoru pressed herself against the soft back of the couch, feeling her cerulean eyes widen in fear. Her fingers dug into the couch beneath her, and she almost forgot to breathe.  
  
So this was the great Shishio-she had heard horrible details about him from Kenshin, whenever he reminisced about the past.  
  
Kenshin. Kenshin. Kenshin. Did Kenshin know?? Did he know where she was, that she was in desperate need of him more than ever??  
  
The bandaged ex-hitokiri's lips slowly formed into a cruel smile, as he saw Kaoru lying there on the yellow couch and Soujirou perched jauntily next to her, a huge smile again plastered on his face from the sight of Shishio.  
  
Shishio's hard black hitokiri eyes glimmered, and the bandaged man made his way over to the couch, dark blue robe fluttering as he moved. Kaoru held her breath, feeling her wounds throb.  
  
Soujirou gave Shishio a huge smile and hastily leaped off the couch and went over to stand next to Yumi, who had her arms folded, the flowing sleeves of her red dress scrunched up. Soujirou beamed at her, and Yumi felt a tiny surge of annoyance. Does this boy ever tire of beaming at the cruel world? She thought angrily. She knew better... her past proved that... but she was not to relive it here.  
  
The bandaged Shishio slowed to a stop before the couch, in front of Kaoru. Speechless with terror, she raised her frightened eyes slowly to look into his glittering ones. In his eyes, triumph shone like a bright wall of fire. Kaoru could feel waves of heat emanating from his very being.  
  
Then he spoke, moving that burned, browned mouth with the dark lips. "Battousai will be very distraught indeed to hear about this," he declared boldly, a tiny smile flitting about his mouth. "You, woman, will serve a very important purpose in my monstrous plan..."  
  
The air seemed to chill drastically, temperature sharply plummeting to an impossible number.  
  
Kaoru slowly sat up, using her hands, pressing against the couch, to give her leverage. What was this evil murderer saying? Her bare feet brushed the carpeted ground and she shivered.  
  
Shishio, his eyes on hers, pronounced slowly and with clear syllables: "You, alone, will bring down the Battousai...become his weakness. You will be of great help to me, and the amount of how greatly you will help me will be equivalent to if you killed the Battousai with your own hands."  
  
Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin!!  
  
Kaoru turned her head to the side and gave a choked sob, tears beginning to brim from her sapphire eyes. No, she would not help Shishio; no, never, never while her body had breath.  
  
Then, her sapphire eyes turned dark with concluded resolve, and narrowed with anger. Flinging her head around to face Shishio, her eyes blazing with fire, she hurled her next words into his startled face.  
  
"And what if I refuse?" she screamed in raw anger. Her wounds seared with pain. This gave her more anger, as it reminded her that probably Shishio had himself ordered them inflicted on her. Well, not really, but still. He was the cause of all her pain; all her confusion; all her terror. A horrible lump grew in her throat with her anger.  
  
Shishio's startled face gave Kaoru great satisfaction. But then her satisfaction turned to perplexity as his face evened out, and he threw back his bandaged head, roaring in laughter.  
  
His laughter was simply primitive-the classical bad-guy laugh. However, no bad-guy laugh had ever made Kaoru feel so frightened and wary before. His bandaged chest rumbled with every roar of laughter, his whole body shaking.  
  
Kaoru waited, mute, hands clenched tightly in her lap.  
  
Shishio's roaring laughs finally died, and he lowered his bandaged chin to stare Kaoru into the eyes once more. His contempt smile still remained on his face, as he moved his burnt face so close to Kaoru's smooth one that their noses were almost touching. Kaoru swallowed, feeling burning waves of heat radiating from him.  
  
Shishio reached up a bandaged hand and grabbed Kaoru's chin, jerking it up and toward him. Kaoru winced, and glared down at Shishio, her hands curled into fists, wanting to punch him, sock him in his most vulnerable part of the body. Her white swan's neck trembled with suppressed anger and indignation, raven hair falling all along it and flowing down her back.  
  
"Listen, girl," Shishio sneered. "You can't refuse. You don't have a choice in this. You will just be a puppet for me to maneuver around, tinker with. To think that you can stand a chance against I, Shishio, future ruler of Japan in a few days, is laughable."  
  
Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut in pain as Shishio jerked her chin higher, his fingers burning her neck and the bottom of her chin.  
  
"And furthermore," Shishio snarled in her ear, his hot breath assaulting her skin, "you don't have a say in whatever I do to you."  
  
Kaoru gasped for breath, her mouth opening wide to take in as much air as possible. In this position, it was difficult to breathe.  
  
Shishio dropped her chin abruptly; Kaoru accidentally bit her tongue as he withdrew his burning fingers from her chin. She tasted the metallic ting of blood in her mouth, and tried to swallow it away.  
  
"You don't have a say in whatever I do to you," Shishio repeated, his burnt mouth curling into a smirk. Raising his left hand, he brought it forward to Kaoru's worse wound of the two gashes: the right side wound.  
  
Kaoru shrieked in pure agony as the searing heat of his skin connected with her still fragile and painful wound. The blood was just starting to stop flowing, but now it flowed with new intensity and purpose as Kaoru screamed in pain, tossing her head back and forth, shiny black hair swaying frantically from side to side.  
  
Shishio kept his burning left hand on her side still, grinning as Kaoru felt the searing burn. Her screams, filled with raw pain, left him with a longing for blood spill. Even the stream of blood flowing from her side wound and over his left hand didn't satisfy the call of bloodlust.  
  
Shishio managed to keep down the bloodlust to a minimum, and kept his burning left hand on Kaoru's tender gash.  
  
To Kaoru's horror, she dimly saw, through a red haze of pain, that a cloud of steam was rising from her burning and bleeding wound. The pain built up to its climax, and she screamed once more, the scream scraping her throat raw.  
  
Then she collapsed forward, not able to stand the burning pain any longer. Her eyes fluttered and closed, dark lashes standing out among her ghostly pale face.  
  
Shishio caught Kaoru as she plummeted forward, and tossed the limp girl back onto the couch unceremoniously. A haunting glitter flickered in his eyes as he observed the blood spilling from the unconscious girl's wound, soaking into the couch's yellow cloth cover.  
  
Almost absently, Shishio brought his bandaged left hand, soaked with the girl's fresh blood, up to his burned lips and licked off the blood. He strode around to face the grinning Soujirou and the approving Yumi, his blood-covered hand still up to his lips, and walked to them, shoes clacking against the hardwood floor as he stepped off the green carpet.  
  
Soujirou beamed up at the approaching Shishio, and waited for Shishio's new commands. Shishio reached him and commanded, "Soujirou, you must stay here in the room with Battousai's girl. Keep her company, give her water, allow her to use the bathroom. Keep here until the Battousai is informed of his girl's whereabouts and we are about to start our... battle." At this last word, the bloodlust in Shishio's eyes grew to a great intensity.  
  
Fighting down the urge to kill-anyway, he reminded himself, he really couldn't afford to fight anyone on a whim, else he would like to be reduced to a cloud of red vapor-he turned to Yumi. He offered his blue-robed arm to her, and she slipped it through her own red-sleeved arm. They started to depart out the doors of the room, but then Shishio stopped in his tracks.  
  
Twisting his neck around to look at Soujirou, the bandaged ex-hitokiri added, "And don't forget to keep all doors and... secret passages... securely locked at all times."  
  
The Western-style dressed boy acknowledged his command with a slight nod and a big smile, and then raised his hand in a gesture of farewell as Shishio and Yumi swept out of the room and into the hall.  
  
Yumi turned around, red dress sweeping around her, to see the double wooden doors swinging to a shut behind them. The boy, Yumi thought. Shishio trusts him so.  
  
Soujirou turned around, inside the room, to face the bleeding, limp girl. His smile faltered for a second, then returned with blazing intensity as he gazed upon the pale Kaoru.

--------------------------------  
5:00 pm  
  
Kenshin dropped down next to the wooden dojo gates, feeling an uncomfortable trickle of sweat run its way down his flushed cheek. For the past two and a half hours, he had been exploring every single centimeter of the dirt path down to the town, where he had been knocking at every shop's door. At each door, he had been inquiring if they had seen a (beautiful) girl in a blue kimono and pink-purple obi come by their door.  
  
"She has radiant sapphire eyes and shiny, long, raven-black hair," Kenshin had told each shop owner.  
  
At each stop, before the owner opened the door, Kenshin would assure himself that yes, Kaoru-dono had been seen by the owner. At each shop, each owner had shaken his/her head no.  
  
Discouraged, Kenshin brought his white hakama-covered knees up to his chest and lay his bushy red head down on them. Now he knew something had happened to Kaoru-dono. She wouldn't intentionally skip Tae-dono's little birthday get-together. At least the shop owners could have seen her.  
  
Kenshin placed his hands on either side of him and boosted himself up, sandaled feet skidding on the crumbly dirt as he pushed himself up. Dusting himself off, he wiped away another trickle of sweat and slowly breathed deeply in and out.  
  
His next plan of action: search the trail that ran through the shady woods. On a hot day like this one, there was a high chance of her cutting through the woods to get to the Akabeko early and also to avoid the scorching sun.  
  
Kenshin shook out his long fiery-colored hair and took a step onto the trail leading into the woods. If he couldn't find Kaoru-dono, then-then-  
  
He felt his eyes narrowing, flickering amber.  
  
At that moment, he heard a familiar shout behind him. Kenshin, startled, swiveled around, his eyes reverting back to its familiar amethyst color.  
  
Sanosuke, gangly in his white outfit and spiky chocolate-fudge-with-almonds- and-cholate-chips-and-chocolate-ice-cream hair (A/N: I'm a little hungry now... --;) dashed in his direction-red ribbon flapping behind his head--, propelling his arm back and forth over his head in an effort to catch Kenshin's attention.  
  
Kenshin waited as Sano caught up to him, perhaps if a bit impatiently.  
  
Sanosuke stopped in front of Kenshin, towering over him by at least a spiky head. "Kenshin, Yahiko and the kids've been asking where you were. You left like three hours ago and never told anyone where you went. You were starting to worry everyone. And where's the Missie?"  
  
Kenshin's eyes grew troubled. Digging the toe of his right sandal into the dirt, he told Sano everything-Tae's hurt, the shopkeepers' unawareness, how long Kaoru had been out, his suspicions of Kaoru getting kidnapped.  
  
"And now," Kenshin concluded, violet eyes wide with worry, "I'm about to look for signs of where Kaoru-dono might have been on the trail through the woods. The trail also leads to the town so Kaoru-dono could have gone through there."  
  
Sanosuke volunteered to help search ("'cause how can I freeload without anyone to hand out food?", though Kenshin knew Sano deeply loved Kaoru as a younger sister), and together, the two dashed out to the forest trail, hoping to find a sign of where Kaoru could have gone.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: I'm so TIRED! What a burst of creative energy! This is possibly the longest chapter of all, and I didn't even combine two chapters together. I'm so proud - ... Anyway, I hope you guys all enjoyed! I sure did.  
  
-Twilight Sky 


	5. Faltering Emotions

Author's Note: Thank you all-your reviews have fueled me to keep on going and write longer chapters. Again, thank you! Oh, and one other thing-I realized that the road in front of the Kamiya dojo is CONCRETE, not dirt... sorry! Don't worry about it, though. It doesn't make a huge difference. And, uh, one question. Soujirou DOES dress Western-like, right? I have a picture in my mind of him wearing breeches. Is that right? I have short term memory... --;  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Shihali: Thank you so much for your help! Your timeline of the Kyoto Arc is so useful-when I was planning the story, I kept referring to it. Thanks also for the heads-up about the error. And thanks for the advice! At least your complaints will help me out. And about the Rengoku-I fixed it because I thought it blew up a long time before they went to Kyoto-stupid ol' me.  
  
Brittanie Love: Thanks! I hope this is soon enough for you...  
  
GoldAngel2: Kenshin's fury is especially important in the upgrading of the plot-I'm glad you noticed that. I try to make them in character, but Soujirou I'm having difficulty on with my upgrading of the plot. I have the whole series too-though I hate doing the research -;  
  
Star0704: I know-I can't wait to write out Kenshin's expression-but too bad I have to build up to it first.  
  
Mara Roberts: I'm sorry that Soujirou is OOC. Don't worry-he'll be back to normal in the end.  
  
skilledpplnumba2: Putt-putt, I think Ann would get suspicious if she saw... and I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN YU-GI-OH!! But I reviewed her fic anyway...  
  
Whisper of Darkness: Yeah, everyone's commenting on Soujirou's weird behavior. But thanks for your compliments!  
  
Arteme: Yeah, the plot is on its way-can you believe this is still the beginning of the story?? Yeah, I know-there'll be lots of chapters to look forward to. And for the cauterizing of the wound-I don't know. Let's just say that it was bleeding before, and the steam from the heat of the blood connected with the chilly air in the room, so that it formed some liquid? (Not very realistic but I forgot about the cauterizing).  
  
rurouni madness: Actually, it'll be a long time before the rescue-as I've said before -. Wait for about seven years until the whole story's out! (Don't worry, it won't be that long a wait -). Lots of Soujirou fans, ne?  
  
Xxoro-chanxX: Thank you! But Shihali has helped me a lot, so I'm not sure I completely agree with you. The real story is important to the Kyoto Arc, and I'm kind of rewriting the Kyoto Arc in a new view. Shihali is helping me make the fanfic more real, and I thank Shihali profusely. But yes, Shihali likes to stick to the real plot, and I'm not sure if I want to include all of the events of the Kyoto Arc in this fic. So thanks for your concerns, and thanks goes to Shihali as well. You guys certainly have opposing views! Thank you, though, for your compliments!  
  
Iris: Thanks! Is this update soon enough for you? -  
  
Disclaimer: See previous chapters' disclaimers--I'm too lazy to write one up again. ;;;  
  
Side Note:  
  
geta: A type of fashionable Japanese clogs, usually worn by women. The geta boosts up the wearer because of two rectangular blocks parallel to each other on the bottom of the shoe. (bad description) The rectangles are horizontally placed.

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 5: Faltering Emotions**DAY ONE (still) --5:15 pm  
  
As he and Sano started off slowly on the crumbly dirt path in the shady woods, Kenshin kept his busy red head down, scanning the earth for any signs of Kaoru and shuffling his sandaled feet on the ground. What he was going to find, he wasn't sure. A hairpin-a scrap of blue cloth-a box of birthday chocolates-or drops of blood-  
  
Kenshin willed himself to think of something else, twining his fingers together. I mean, he told himself, how exactly do I know that she's been hurt. I just have my suspicions... and that Kaoru-dono wouldn't intentionally skip Tae's get-together...  
  
His thoughts seemed to have a mind of his own. They focused on her silky, long raven hair, shimmering with blue highlights. They focused on her lithe, slender but tough figure. They focused on her clear, fighting personality-how she'd defend anyone who was wronged. They focused on her blushing lips, soft and warm...  
  
A heavy red blush spread over Kenshin's face, and he grimaced slightly. He felt his ears heating up, and he determinedly turned his head to the side, willing Sano not to glance at his crimson face.  
  
Sano seemed to have a sixth sense. Kenshin felt a jolting nudge in his ribs and he swiveled around, face now tomato red. Sano smiled reassuringly at him, warm brown eyes comforting. "Don't worry, Kenshin," Sano boomed out, clapping Kenshin on the shoulder and sending him reeling. "We'll find out where Jo-chan went. After all, how do you know Jo-chan got hurt? We don't have any proof of that."  
  
Kenshin listened to Sano's words, which mirrored his own reassuring thoughts to himself. After a brief pause, he lifted his head again and smiled at Sano. "Yes, you're right, that you are," Kenshin replied firmly. After all, what else could they think?  
  
Sano grinned and stuffed his long-fingered hands into his white pockets, striding forward again. Kenshin hurried to catch up, loose folds of his magenta gi flapping behind him.  
  
They slowed to a steady walk again, listening to the invisible birds sing their shrill songs. Peaceful woods life rang out all around them. The leafy trees sighed in the slight breeze, and the whole scene showed that no foul play had happened. Through the tall leaves of the trees, the orange sun tinged with red told the world that sunset was fast approaching.  
  
Then Sano halted abruptly. Kenshin, who was shuffling along behind him, nearly crashed into his billowing white shirt with the boldly imprinted 'Aku' symbol on his back.  
  
"K-Kenshin-" Sano burst out, throwing out a muscular arm and catching Kenshin hard in the chest. His red ribbon flapped behind his head, slightly covered by spiky brown hair.  
  
Kenshin stepped out around Sano's arm and directed his gaze to where Sano was staring. A cobalt-blue hair ribbon lay in the dirt, casually tossed to one side as if it had fallen from somebody's hair. Several sprinklings of dirt partially obscured the ribbon, and Kenshin wouldn't have noticed it at all if it hadn't been for the beautiful deep blue color of the ribbon, a few shades deeper than Kaoru-dono's own eyes.  
  
Kenshin's clear violet eyes widened. Was this a sign of foul play? Or had Kaoru-dono simply dropped it here? He recognized the ribbon as the one that Kaoru-dono always wore. After that Jin-e incident, when Kenshin had accidentally stained Kaoru-dono's favorite blue ribbon with his own blood, he had gone out to the market and bought a new one for Kaoru-dono. It had been the least he could do. And Kaoru-dono had loved it.  
  
So Kaoru-dono wouldn't have just carelessly flung it out here.  
  
Kenshin took a few steps forward and knelt down, right knee resting on the dirt strewn casually with little pebbles. His left hand on the left knee of his white hakama, he reached out with his slender right hand for the blue ribbon.  
  
The cobalt blue hair ribbon flapped in his fingers, the silky material undulating in the breeze. Kenshin stood up and stared at the ribbon for a long time.  
  
Then he felt a heavy hand coming down onto his shoulder. "Come on, Kenshin," Sano murmured. "We still don't really know that Jo-chan's hurt."  
  
Kenshin reluctantly tucked the ribbon into his magenta gi and continued walking, violet eyes solemn. This time, he took the front, while Sano's crunching footsteps rang out behind him.  
  
They continued walking for about two more minutes, occasionally pausing to check a suspicious-looking object on the ground. They were more cautious to check everywhere, as they had already found Kaoru's blue hair ribbon. As they did this, the air was thick with worry, and the peaceful forest sounds went by unheard.  
  
This time, Kenshin was the one to stop, causing Sano to nearly shove Kenshin to the ground, what with his towering height.  
  
"Kenshin, what is it?" Sano asked, breaking the heavy silence between them. His spiky chocolate hair bobbed as he peered over Kenshin's bushy red hair.  
  
Kenshin's eyes were thrown into shadow by his long red bangs. The slight breeze riffled the loose flaps of his white hakama, and his hands were clenched into tight fists.  
  
Sano glanced down worriedly at his friend and stepped forward to check out what lay a few feet ahead of them on the path.  
  
A wooden geta rested on its side, tossed carelessly upon the dirt path. Sano recognized it as one of Jo-chan's, glimpsed whenever they went out to eat at the Akabeko or anywhere else. The only time Jo-chan wasn't wearing one of those awful things was when she was teaching budo or fighting.  
  
Sano couldn't imagine himself wearing one of those. He'd stick with his plain black shoes, thanks. (A/N: His shoes are weird... --;)  
  
Kenshin stepped forward and scooped up the geta, amethyst eyes troubled as he glanced up at Sano.  
  
Kenshin stood up slowly, cradling the geta in his pale, long-fingered hand. "Sanosuke... it does not make any sense that Kaoru-dono would take off her geta at any time, that it doesn't." Kenshin turned the geta around and around in his hands, as if it could tell him where Kaoru had gone.  
  
Sanosuke took a tiny step forward, then stopped, comprehension dawning on his face. "Then-then-"  
  
Sano couldn't believe it. No, there had to be a reason Jo-chan had taken off her geta. Even the most absurd reason...  
  
Kenshin carefully set the geta right side up onto the dirt, then picked it up and moved it forward, setting it down again. Sano watched as Kenshin picked it up yet another time, and moved it forward to another spot.  
  
"K-Kenshin?" Sano said haltingly, worried for his red-haired samurai friend. What in the world was Kenshin doing?  
  
Kenshin swiveled his head to look at Sano, red hair falling into his eyes. He was crouched on the ground, about to pick up the geta again.  
  
Sano moved forward until he was across from Kenshin, next to the geta. "Kenshin... "  
  
The red haired samurai lifted up the geta two feet above the dirt, and Sano saw what Kenshin had been doing. Kenshin had been carefully dropping the geta down onto the dirt, to match two rectangular imprints in the dirt, parallel to each other. However, the front rectangle imprint was deeply embedded in the ground, while the back rectangular imprint was lightly made.  
  
What does it mean? Sano wondered.  
  
As always, Kenshin supplied an explanation.  
  
"Kaoru-dono was running with her pair of geta on," Kenshin answered, indicating the print marks and how perfectly they fit the rectangular blocks on the wooden clog. "However," he continued, "there are no more of the rectangle prints on the dirt trail, so Kaoru-dono must have kicked off the pair of geta and continued running on foot."  
  
Sanosuke nodded, understanding at last and was contented to know that Kenshin had not been going crazy-as if he could.  
  
Sano glanced back behind them, where they had just gone on. There were more pairs of rectangular prints, but these were smudged and crumbled in many places, so they came up as vague on the many disfigurements of the dirt trail.  
  
Kenshin followed Sano's gaze soberly. "And those other geta prints," Kenshin said, "are hard to tell because a lot of people have trod on them, probably." Kenshin followed the prints with his expert eyes, trained from the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu-necessary to read an opponent's movements.  
  
Sano chose not to comment on who the 'lot of people' were. Instead, he said to Kenshin, "If Jo-chan's one geta is here...then surely she must have abandoned the other. One foot without it and the other with it is not a good position to run in, if she kicked off the clogs to run."  
  
Kenshin nodded, lips drawn into a tight and worried line. "I agree-that is good thinking, that it was, Sanosuke."  
  
With his good eyes, Kenshin glanced around the area once and quickly detected the other shoe kicked off the trail, tossed underneath a tall, leafy tree. Kenshin quickly strode over to it and knelt to pick it up.  
  
As he did, the red-haired samurai noticed that there were many long and dark shadows covering the dirt ground. Blinking, Kenshin looked up to see the fiery streaks of the setting sun painting the lilac and pink-tinged sky.  
  
Kenshin stood up again and turned to face Sano. "Now we know Kaoru-dono has gone through something horrible," Kenshin said quietly. "There is no other evidence we need."  
  
From the inside of his gi, Kenshin pulled out the silky blue hair ribbon and set it gently on the ground. He carefully positioned the pair of geta shoes next to the hair ribbon, and rose, staring down at the assortment of Kaoru's possessions.  
  
Sano cramed his hands into his wide white pockets and wandered over to stand next to Kenshin, murmuring, "Shit..." under his breath.  
  
Kenshin heaved a deep sigh and knelt down to pick up the items again. "It is getting dark, Sanosuke," he said hoarsely. Sano knew he was fighting back the anger that rose dangerously from him.  
  
Kenshin continued slowly, "We'll get back to the dojo and rest up. Tomorrow, we'll set out to look for Kaoru-dono again. It's been a long day."  
  
Sano went over his day: gambling at the local place and getting tons of money. It wasn't much to go on, if he agreed to Kenshin's last statement. Kenshin had probably been searching for the Missie all day.  
  
I'll stay with Kenshin tonight at the dojo, Sano thought.  
  
Kenshin felt waves of anger and impatience at not being able to search for Kaoru-dono immediately. Who knew what was happening to her right this second? He wanted to search for her _now_!  
  
However, he couldn't consider his own feelings. Sanosuke probably had to be tired.  
  
Together and silently, they headed back down the trail to the Kamiya dojo. Tomorrow was going to be a fresh day-for both of them.  
  
But what of Kaoru?

---------------------------------------  
6:30 pm  
  
She felt like she was falling out of the sky, plummeting toward the earth at an impossible speed. Oddly, her long black hair wasn't being blown back. All was normal, as if she were sleeping-except for the terrifying feeling of falling. That rush of adrenaline in her whole body; the feeling of her heart jumping up to her throat.  
  
Kaoru slowly opened her eyes, and the dizzying feeling of plummeting to the ground vanished. Slowly, she came back to the world, and discovered that she was sprawled limply on the yellow couch in Shishio's room.  
  
Stirring, she dropped a pale arm over her eyes and squinted against the seemingly bright light coming from the lone candle on the end table.  
  
Gradually, the swirling black dots in front of her eyes faded, and she could see the room in its entirety again. Pushing herself up on the couch, she felt wetness and glanced down to see bloodstains all over the cover of the couch.  
  
Shuddering, she took a quick look at her right side wound and found that it wasn't bleeding any longer, thank goodness. However, the lips of her wound were burned horrifically. Thanks to Shishio, Kaoru thought ironically.  
  
She heard a slight sound, like wood against wood, in the general direction of the far-facing wall that was opposite of the double wooden doors.  
  
Since Kaoru couldn't see the wall from her lying-down position on the couch, she craned her long neck over the back of the couch to see where the sound had come from. Not to her surprise, she saw the Western-style dressed boy--Seta Soujirou-- standing there, hurriedly fumbling about with the red drapes covering the wall.  
  
Soujirou swiveled around to glance at Kaoru, and she saw that he had his huge smile on. "So you're awake again!" Soujirou declared cheerfully, and dropped the drapes to stride around to the front side of the couch.  
  
Kaoru followed him with her eyes warily, her long raven-black hair tumbling down around her pale face and down her blue-kimono covered back.  
  
Soujirou set his right hand on the far arm of the couch from her, and bent over, making move-over gestures. Kaoru hastily pulled her legs over and onto the green-carpeted ground, so that she was forced into a sitting position.  
  
Soujirou swung himself over the arm of the couch and dropped himself onto the couch next to Kaoru. Turning her head to look at him, Kaoru had to admit that the boy was around her age-maybe even a little older. But the way he kept constantly smiling changed his demeanor to a younger age.  
  
Soujirou spoke. "I hope you make yourself comfortable here--'cause you'll be here for an awfully long time--probably a few weeks or so."  
  
Kaoru stared.  
  
The whole thing still seemed like a dream she was going to wake up from. Like she was going to forget all of this in a few minutes. But this was the real thing.  
  
Soujirou said, "Don't worry--you'll get to use the bathroom and you'll get delicious food and refreshing water during your comfortable wait here for Himura-san." He beamed sweetly at her.  
  
Kaoru felt a surge of tears coming from her heart. She turned away from Soujirou, his very mention of Kenshin reminding her of Shishio's deadly plan in store for him-and her. How she was going to destroy Kenshin by herself, practically. And she couldn't do anything about it.  
  
She broke down into tears, the silver liquid cascading down her cheeks. Horrified, she covered her face with her trembling hands, ashamed that she was crying in front of this boy. What he must think of her...what with her 'image' as a damsel in distress. How horrible. The tears dripped down her cheeks and down her chin, dropping wet splatters onto the couch.  
  
There was only silence from Soujirou's end of the couch.  
  
Kaoru sniffled and tried to stop the tears, but they kept on flowing steadily. Kenshin... Kenshin...  
  
If she was going to destroy Kenshin... if Kenshin was to be destroyed by her... She wouldn't be able to live with herself then after.  
  
Even if Shishio was going to kill Kenshin himself, she might as well have been his destroyer...  
  
Kaoru sobbed into her hands, and gradually felt her nose stuff up. Oh great, she thought, wiping vaguely at her streaming eyes. Gasping sobs rose from her chest and shook her whole body.  
  
Then she heard a strange noise coming from Soujirou's end of the couch.  
  
Glancing up, she drew in a gasping sob as she saw Soujirou gazing at her sadly, almost pitifully. But from what she had seen of him, he had been smiling all the time...why the sudden change?

---------------------------------------  
6:40 pm  
  
When Soujirou saw the girl breaking down into tears, his emotionless, stiff heart had suddenly cracked with pity and sadness for her. Shishio was going to do something horrible to her--put all the blame of Himura-san's murder on her... though she wasn't really going to do anything. Shishio had made it seem like the girl--Kaoru--had killed Himura-san herself, though she would just only weaken the Battousai--Himura-san.  
  
Damn! He was getting all mixed up with his names. Emotions wreaked so much havoc on you.  
  
Soujirou struggled to push away the emotions that had suddenly come flooding into his heart. These emotions--so long ago felt--he hadn't experienced them in such a long time. Now he strived to shove them away, get back to his happy demeanor. He couldn't afford to feel these feelings of sadness, guilt, anger, frustration...  
  
"If you're strong, you live. If you're weak, you die." Soujirou furiously repeated this into his head. If he had no emotions, then he was strong. If he had emotions, then he was weak.  
  
He could prove this easily by the people who were murdered. Often, one would be stupid enough to try to protect the other. They usually got killed like this.  
  
By repeating the phrase in his head multiple times, Soujirou's eyes turned emotionless again and the smile popped back on his face.

--------------------------------  
6:45 pm  
  
Kaoru sniffled and turned away, suddenly embarrassed. "You must think I'm pretty pitiful now," she said, a strange smile on her face. "A captured girl starts breaking down into tears; how cliché-like." She tried unsuccessfully to dry the shining tears on her flushed cheeks.  
  
She heard rustling beside her, and turned her head to look at Soujirou. He was digging through his pockets for something, finally standing up so he could be allowed to delve deeper into his pockets. Finally he gave a small cry --"A-ha!" and withdrew a slightly crumpled white handkerchief from his left pocket. With a flourish, he offered it to her, a huge grin on his face.  
  
Kaoru reached out and took the handkerchief, wiping away her tears. As she covered her eyes with the handkerchief, she couldn't help but wonder if Soujirou was smiling in a fake way or not.  
  
She carefully folded up the tear-stained handkerchief and glanced up at Soujirou. "Th-thank you," she murmured, hoping her voice wasn't still trembling.  
  
When she looked back up at Soujirou, the earsplitting grin didn't seem faked anymore-it looked like his usual huge smiles. His eyes shone with amusement and happiness.  
  
There was no more sadness or guilt in his face.  
  
Kaoru sighed and leaned back on the couch, draping her arm over her face. For some reason, she was exhausted--probably because of how the day had gone.  
  
"I'm so tired," she murmured to Soujirou. "Do you know what time it is?" For some reason, she felt she could trust the boy--even if he did smile excessively.  
  
Soujirou took out a gold pocket watch from his right pocket and consulted it. "It's almost 6:55 pm right now," he answered. Without the slightest change in expression, he bent down and placed the pocket watch onto the end table beside the couch. He straightened up and explained, "You must feel pretty disoriented, not knowing what the time is. Here's a little something for you. Consider it a welcome gift-welcome to the Six-Gated Temple."  
  
Kaoru murmured, beneath her right arm, "Six-Gated Temple?"  
  
"This room is one of many in the Six-Gated Temple," Soujirou replied, his eyes crinkling up with his smile. "The Six-Gated Temple is also where Shishio-sama and Himura-san will be battling."  
  
Kaoru's eyes flew open and she jerked back up into a sitting position, not sleepy anymore. "B-battling?"  
  
Soujirou smiled. "Himura-san will be fighting to get you back safely... and Shishio-sama will be fighting to obtain the title of the most powerful man in Japan-or even the whole world." As he said the first part of the statement (about the saving), a shining glitter came into his eyes. The second real sign of emotion stunned Kaoru, but she blinked, and it wasn't there anymore.  
  
It must be my imagination, she told herself, leaning back against the couch.  
  
Soujirou grinned. "You can go to the bathroom in that chamber pot over there," he said, pointing into the corner of the room.  
  
Kaoru felt herself getting red as she looked over there. In the corner sat a gleaming chamber pot (A/N: I hope they had chamber pots or whatever back then, in Japan...).  
  
"And..." Soujirou started to say, but suddenly there came a weird clacking sound somewhere near the side of the room.  
  
Kaoru and Soujirou looked over there simultaneously, and Soujirou hurried to where the sound was coming from. Kaoru saw a little machine sat on a desk on the far side of the wall. The machine was making the clacking noises she and Soujirou had heard before, and was emitting a long, thin slip of paper with --Kaoru squinted her sapphire eyes--black dots and dashes on it.  
  
Kaoru stared, fascinated, as Soujirou stood at the machine's side, waiting for the dots and dashes to stop appearing. She felt so curious as to what the machine's purpose was for.

---------------------------------------  
6:55 pm  
  
Finally, the clacking halted, and Soujirou pulled out the slip of paper, scanning it quickly with his eyes. He was trained to read the Morse code, and read that Shishio and Yumi had arrived at Shingetsu by quick transportation. Shishio commands Soujirou: Find a way to get Battousai to know what happened to his girl, and to round up the Juppongatana.  
  
Soujirou's smile never wavered. He sensed that Kaoru was about to get up from the couch and come over to him, and he waved his hand dismally behind him in a get-back-down motion. There came a vehement sigh and a plop back onto the couch.  
  
Soujirou crumpled up the note in his right hand and crammed it into his pocket. Turning back to the machine, he started typing out a message written in Morse code to one of Shishio's black-clothed lackeys stationed in Tokyo. Soujirou didn't feel like he was up to the strenuous task of running all the way to Tokyo from here, Kyoto. He had already run out all of his...emotions... when carrying Kaoru here to the Six-Gated Temple.  
  
Soujirou typed out the message efficiently and ceaselessly, feeling Kaoru staring at the back of his neck. To the lackey, he typed:  
  
"Give the note to Himura-san in the 'best way' possible. Himura-san will be staying in the Kamiya dojo-surely you know where that is. In the note, tell Himura-san that Shishio-sama has captured his girl and that Shishio-sama'll be waiting in the Six-Gated Temple for him. Also, tell Himura-san to send a note to Shishio-sama when he's ready to fight, and the date of battle. I'll be out rounding up the Juppongatana."  
  
Soujirou finished the message and turned around to face Kaoru. She was sitting upright on the couch, curious eyes on his face.  
  
Soujirou grinned at her. "Go and sleep now-you must be exhausted." He kept on smiling at her until she reluctantly obliged, and lay down on the couch.  
  
Soujirou turned back to the machine, ready to type in a new message to Houji. He was going to tell Houji that since he, Soujirou, was going to round up the Juppongatana, Houji had to come watch over Kaoru. After all, Soujirou well couldn't be in two places at once.  
  
As Soujirou finished up the message, he glanced back over to the couch and noticed that Kaoru was sound asleep. I knew she was exhausted, Soujirou thought. I mean, who wouldn't be after this exhausting day for her?  
  
Soujirou felt another wave of emotion blast him in the chest. It burned him to the core, ripping out his emotionless heart.  
  
Soujirou clapped his hands to his head and clenched his eyes shut, trying to rid the emotions that were sure to destroy him. If you're strong, you live, if you're weak, you die. If you're strong, you live. If you're weak, you die. If-you're-strong-you-live-if-you're-weak-you-die-If-you're-strong- you-live-if-you're-weak-you-die-  
  
At last Soujirou straightened up, emotions gone. He wasn't sure what was going on with him-this internal struggle wrenching apart his heart in opposite directions.  
  
Soujirou walked to the double wooden doors and unlocked them. Flinging them open, he strode out and locked them again. Then he set off, out of the Six- Gated Temple to gather together the Juppongatana.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: Oh my goodness... this is the longest chapter I will probably ever write. It totally exceeds my standards so that I wonder if I should divide this into two chapters.  
  
Anyway, I hope you guys liked it as much as I liked typing it! (I couldn't command my fingers to stop -;). Expect the next chapter in a few days (or more, considering the rest I need to take from typing up this LO-O-ONG chapter! -)  
  
-Twilight Sky 


	6. Painful Discoveries

Author's Note: This is not like me-I haven't updated in over a week! Usually I update like every other day or every few days. However, my computer contracted a horrible virus so I had to wait while the computer got cleaned out. Luckily, the computer's fine now (otherwise I wouldn't be updating -;) By the way, we are STILL in the beginning of this fic. Surprised? There'll be at least 20 chapters. So stick with me, you guys- it's going to be a long and bumpy ride. And it would be better for you readers of this fic if you already read/watched the Shishio episodes (Legend of Kyoto).  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Brittanie Love: Thank you! I hope you look forward to the other chapters as well.  
  
GoldAngel2: Keep an eye on the characters-their actions, demeanor, and emotions are a crucial part to this fic. I'm glad you noticed-and your fics are truly a work of art! They're written poetically and smoothly.  
  
Shihali: Thank you! I'll keep that in mind-but for some reason I still have this picture in my head of Soujirou wearing breeches. Did he wear breeches when he was fighting Kenshin?  
  
Star0704: Yes, Kaoru is going to have to wait a long time for Kenshin to show up-maybe even more. Don't worry, our little Rurouni will be furious enough! And, uh, cough cough talented writers? Where? Where? -; (sorry Jenny! I'm starting to copy you!)  
  
Dragon Master271: Thank you! I'm hoping it is...  
  
rurouni madness: Yeah, this fic will have barely any humor in it...And I think a week is a good long time to rest up my fingers, ne? -  
  
kaoru-chan: Thanks! Well, here it is...  
  
Whisper of Darkness: That's a good idea-if Soujirou's too affected, then his battle with Kenshin won't be very useful. I'll keep that in mind.

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 6: Painful Discoveries**   
  
DAY TWO (finally)--5:30 am  
  
It was silent as a tomb in a cemetery when Kaoru awoke, quite early the next morning.  
  
Kaoru blinked blearily, her dark, full lashes adorning her porcelain skin. She groggily raised her right arm and draped it over her eyes, opening her mouth to yawn sleepily. Under her back, the plush couch radiated warmth.  
  
This pale-yellow couch was way too comfortable for her own good. If only she had a blanket or something--this room felt like the dojo in a blazing winter snowstorm.  
  
The dojo.  
  
A sudden thought flitted through her head. Did they miss her yet?  
  
Kaoru gingerly sat up, using her arms as leverage and moistening her dry lips.  
  
Did they know she was gone yet?  
  
Shishio had said that she would practically destroy Kenshin by herself.  
  
Then she had reason to believe that Kenshin was in grave danger. Or at least, going to be.  
  
A blast of icy coldness struck the surprised Kaoru in the heart. She quickly wrapped her cold arms around herself, bringing her knees up to her chest and huddling in a lump on the couch.  
  
Now she was wide-awake, for the time being.  
  
Kaoru could have sworn that this room was as cold as Hell, in its iciest days.  
  
Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin.  
  
Kaoru couldn't stop thinking about him. How she was eventually going to finish him off by herself. Even if not by her bare hands...then...  
  
She lay her head onto her knees, feeling the cool silk of her azure-blue kimono under her warm cheek. How WAS she going to destroy Kenshin without her bare hands? Shishio hadn't said.  
  
Her thoughts went back to when Shishio had told her of their plan.  
  
Wrenching her chin upward, arching her white swan's neck, forcing her to grit her eyes in frustrated, unwanted pain, Shishio had informed her of every detail of his monstrous plan.  
  
The bandaged murderer had revealed every secret of his plan to her--except how she was going to destroy Kenshin.  
  
Kaoru hugged her knees tighter to herself.  
  
Did Shishio think her a weakling? Did he think her a helpless girl? Did he know her only as "Battousai's fragile girl?"  
  
And how in the world was he going to make her "destroy" Kenshin?  
  
Kaoru gave a great sigh and unfolded herself, slinging her long legs over the side of the couch. She was just so confused.  
  
She stared at without really registering the double wooden doors a few yards in front of her. They loomed, heavy and dark. Probably locked, too.  
  
The room seemed unbearably quiet. Her ears roared with the deafening silence. She suddenly noticed that she was all alone in the room. Soujirou had left.  
  
In the silent room, all Kaoru heard was the slow beating of her own heart. Her muscles angrily throbbed with the need to move, to practice with her bokken. In her mind, she played over the movements required to slash the wooden sword downwards and forcefully, at that. The muscles in her arms tensed up, and she winced at the sudden pain in her left shoulder.  
  
Oh yeah...  
  
She dimly thought, I'm still wounded...the gashes haven't healed yet...  
  
She tilted her head to glance down at her blood-caked left shoulder, soft waves of ebony hair falling down her arms. No blood seeped out of the wound, but it still throbbed painfully and steadily. No doubt this was one deep slash Soujirou had given her.  
  
Kaoru gingerly reached out with her fingers and gently touched the bloody gash in her shoulder, the shoulder of her blue kimono partially ripped open by Soujirou's sword.  
  
The white-hot pain that followed was unbearable.  
  
Kaoru quickly snatched her fingers away. "Baka! Baka!" she grimly chided herself, biting down hard on her lower lip and clenching her upper left arm in pain. If she had known it was going to hurt so horribly...  
  
She sighed and directed her attention to the deeper wound in her right side. This wound hadn't throbbed in quite a while, ever since Shishio had burned her there with his sizzling, bandaged fingers.  
  
"Sizzling?" Kaoru murmured softly. "How in the world did his skin flare to such a high temperature?" Shishio was indeed a great mystery--possibly Kenshin didn't know so much about him than she did now, just by encountering him.  
  
In fact, her side wound seemed a bit numb.  
  
Kaoru gingerly separated the two cut folds of her pink-purple obi, cut when Soujirou had given her the second slash. Underneath, the blue kimono was slit open, and as she glanced at her wound, she hastily recoiled.  
  
Splashed all around the right side of her obi and kimono, surrounding the wound, was dried, caked blood.  
  
And the wound's gaping lips were a charred brown.  
  
No wonder it had hurt so badly when Shishio had burned her wound.  
  
And no wonder it no longer hurt.  
  
Kaoru swallowed, sickened by the stomach-turning sight. She gently and lightly grazed her fingertips on this wound, expecting a waterfall of pain. However, it was numb. No pain seared from the wound.  
  
Kaoru sighed. So Shishio had actually done her a favor. Had he realized?  
  
She released her bloodstained obi and smoothed back a strand of midnight- blue hair that had fallen in front of her sapphire eyes. What time was it?  
  
In the silent room, she heard a steady ticking close by where she sat. At first, she immediately thought of the weird contraption that had been emitting a long slip of paper with black dots and dashes imprinted on it. But then she thought of Soujirou, of the dark-haired youngish-looking boy, when he held out his pocketwatch to her.  
  
"Welcome to the Six-Gated Temple," the grinning boy had told her.  
  
Kaoru lay her hands in her lap. They looked like two pale lilies against the sky blue of her kimono. "The Six-Gated Temple, huh?" she quietly murmured.  
  
Kenshin would be coming here soon, to fight Shishio. And Shishio would be waiting for him, deadly as a furious rattlesnake and poised to attack.  
  
So she was in Shishio's room, where he sat creating plans to take over Japan. Kaoru couldn't imagine the bandaged ex-hitokiri sitting where she was perched now, with an evil smile on his charred face and his men around him.  
  
Kaoru turned her attention to the ticking object--Soujirou's gold-rimmed pocketwatch. She leaned over the right arm of the yellow-cloth draped couch. And there was the pocketwatch, resting on the slender wooden side table along with the single candle.  
  
And--Kaoru noticed--there were several more unlit candles next to the one candle. A book of matches lay next to the unlit candles.  
  
She reached out her right arm and scooped up the pocketwatch. It ticked in her right palm, the golden chain sliding down the back of her hand.  
  
Kaoru glanced at it, and the face read that the time was 6:42.  
  
6:42--morning or night?  
  
If she didn't make mark of the specific times, she was going to get pretty disoriented quickly.  
  
She settled back on the couch, fingering the pocketwatch in her hand and thinking.  
  
"Let's see... when Soujirou was here yesterday, he had said that it was around... um...5:45 or something like that. And I'm pretty sure that was in the late afternoon." Kaoru ran these thoughts around in her head, tasting them. Finally she came to the conclusion that it was in the morning.  
  
But it was so early!  
  
A thought wafted through Kaoru's head, so quickly she couldn't stop it. Kenshin would be up by now...  
  
Despair quickly overtook her, and she hurled the pocketwatch away from her in sudden anger. Anger at Shishio. Angry at herself, for letting herself become captured and hurt. Angry at the always-happy Soujirou.  
  
Kaoru buried her face into the right arm of the couch, feeling the soft yellow cloth press into her face. Dimly, she heard the distinct clanging noise of the pocketwatch slamming resolutely into the hardwood floor beyond the green carpet, and she gritted her teeth in fury. Frustrated tears began to stream down her cheeks again.  
  
Kaoru got even angrier. Already three times she had cried in less than 24 hours. This was so frustrating.  
  
She gently closed her eyes, ridding away the tears. Finally she got up and wiped her shining cheeks, smoothing back her raven hair.  
  
She sat on the couch for a while more, breathing deeply. Finally she felt the anger welling slowly away.  
  
Finally drained of angry, guilty tears, Kaoru stood up. Her unstretched limbs and limp muscles protested, and she almost toppled over. Holding onto the arm for balance, Kaoru managed to steady herself. There was absolutely nothing to do in this wretched place. There weren't even any windows, and there was only one set of doors in this room.  
  
What a boring place.  
  
Then the merest ghost of a memory touched Kaoru. A-are you really sure there's only one set of doors to this room? she slowly asked herself.  
  
NO!!! a voice seemed to scream furiously at her in her head.  
  
Kaoru snapped her head up, slightly bewildered. Wh-what was this memory?  
  
At this thought, the faint ghost of the memory started to float away. Desperate and curious, Kaoru hastily started after the memory, trying to grasp it in her reaching hands.  
  
Finally she snagged it, pulling it back.  
  
She dimly remembered that when she had woken up after Shishio had hurt her, Soujirou had been doing something.  
  
She had looked over the back of the yellow couch to see him fiddling with the red drapes, which were covering the wall opposite to the double wooden doors to the room.  
  
And when Soujirou had seen her staring at him, he had immediately dropped a red drape and walked away, plastering a smile onto his face.  
  
Like he was trying to hide something.  
  
What was that something?  
  
Kaoru's sapphire eyes gleamed with new purpose. She quickly hurried over to the red drapes, and stood in front of them. The thick, silky red drapes brushed the ground, flowing from the ceiling to the floor, completely blocking the wall behind.  
  
Her heart thudded suddenly. What the thick drapes were trying to block...that could be the something Soujirou could be trying to hide!  
  
Kaoru reached out a pale arm and hastily drew apart the heavy red drapes. They swirled up clouds of dust, and she turned her face away, coughing at the dry, scratchy feeling in her throat.  
  
When the dust subsided, she turned back to see a door.  
  
The door was set into the wooden wall, behind the red drapes. The knob was flatter than most knobs, so to hide the fact that it was hiding behind the red drapes.  
  
So the red drapes were just covering the wooden wall, covering the secret door. All of the walls were to have been wooden, and this wall was no exception.  
  
Another set of doors.  
  
Kaoru brightened at the discovery. She could well have a way out of this boring place yet. She wouldn't have to succumb to Shishio's demands. And, most importantly, she wouldn't be able to harm Kenshin, if she escaped this place.  
  
Her heart grew light and her wounds seemed nonexistent as Kaoru eagerly reached for the knob, twisting it.  
  
The knob didn't twist.  
  
The door stayed shut.  
  
The red drapes slowly dropped from Kaoru's limp hand as she stood there, frozen still.  
  
Her one seemingly easy way to escape...gone.  
  
So when Kaoru had woken up and seen Soujirou at the red drapes fiddling with something, he had been hastily locking the door. To what? Was it a secret passageway?  
  
So now what?

----------------------------------  
6:00am  
  
"Kenshin! Kenshin! Help me! Please! Kenshin! Where are you?!"  
  
"K-Kaoru-dono?!" Kenshin responded, turning his head frantically. "Tell me where you are! Are you hurt, de gozaru yo?!"  
  
"Kenshin! Kenshiiiin!!!!"  
  
Kenshin stumbled through the dark fog that threatened to pull him under. Suddenly, a dark shadow emerged in front of him. Its eyes stared him down, eyes of a hitokiri's. Eyes of a murderer's.  
  
"K-Kenshin... K-Ken...sh-shin..."  
  
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin raised his arm to his face, the dark mist billowing in his face. Through the fog, the shadow veered closer...closer...  
  
Suddenly, through the blinding fog, Kenshin spotted a dark something lying limply in the gray mist. No--not something--Kaoru-dono!  
  
Kenshin hastily scrambled to her side, dropping heavily down to his knees and staring into her face. "K-Kao--"  
  
He cut himself off, staring down at her prone figure. Blood was splashed over her, and her beautiful blue kimono with the magenta obi was ripped. Large gashes showed dark blue in the dim light. Her long midnight-blue hair was sprinkled with droplets of mist. But what was worse of all was the dying light in her dull blue eyes, no longer glittering sapphire.  
  
"KAORU-DONO!!!!!"

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6:15 am  
  
Kenshin sat bolt upright in his warm futon, shuddering violently. H-how...  
  
His raw throat throbbed painfully immediately after he yelled out her name, in his sleep. His panic had woken him up, probably.  
  
Kenshin wiped away a trickle of sweat dripping down his forehead. His whole body was cold, touched with the freezing mist of his horrifying dream.  
  
And Kaoru-dono was...  
  
Kenshin buried his sweaty face into his hands, untied auburn hair falling down around his shoulders.  
  
There came a rustling from the other side of the room.  
  
"Ke--heh-sh-hin?" came a yawning male voice. "What the heck is it? Ya wanna wake up the whole household?"  
  
Kenshin slowly lowered his hands, clear violet eyes wide with fear and panic. "San-Sanosuke..." And he relayed his horrible dream to the sleepy Sano.  
  
Kenshin concluded with "And, Sano, Kaoru-dono....was dead. And it was all sessha's fault, de gozaru yo..." His violet eyes were clouded with guilt as he stared down at his hands.  
  
A vehement groan was heard from Sano's side of the room. "Kenshin, you baka. It wasn't your fault! Now stop blaming yourself and get back to sleep so we can search for Jo-chan wide-eyed and fully rested! We can't search now, before the crack of dawn!"  
  
Kenshin sighed, boosting himself up with his left hand and getting slowly to his feet. "No, Sanosuke...I usually get up at this time, de gozaru yo." A rue smile formed on his lips. "In the meantime, while I wait for you to get up, I'll prepare breakfast, that I will."  
  
The red-haired samurai straightened his magenta gi and white hakama, and proceeded to roll up his futon. Dimly, he heard the younger man plop back onto his pillow.  
  
As Kenshin finished stacking up his blankets and tying back his hair with a short blue string, the sound of Sano's deafening snores filled the dark room. Kenshin tiptoed out of the room, not wanting to disturb Sano any more than he already had this morning.  
  
The first pale rays of the new morning shone in the dojo's yard, shining over the tub of unwashed clothes. As Kenshin looked over the yard, he sighted the clothes and visibly winced, feeling guilty. He had forgotten to hang up the clothes, in the midst of his panic.  
  
Kenshin quickly slipped on his sandals and went down the three wooden dojo steps, walking purposefully to the well and laundry. He would just hang up the few remaining clothes and then prepare everyone's breakfast. No, he would just make his, Sano's, and Yahiko's breakfast. They would be the only ones here at the dojo.  
  
This thought sent a wave of pure anguish through his heart. We just know that Kaoru-dono's missing, that's all, he told himself fiercely. However, the evidence he and Sano had unearthed last night proved him wrong.  
  
His auburn red hair streamed behind him, as he stepped across the yard to the well. His sandals made quiet shuffling sounds against the dry, cool concrete.  
  
Suddenly, Kenshin tensed.  
  
Something vile was in the air. It came with the turf of learning the Hiten Mitsurugi Style.  
  
Quickly, Kenshin stepped to the left, and not a moment too soon. An icy blast of wind streaked by his unscarred right cheek, and it immediately started to throb. Kenshin brought his right hand up to his cheek, and felt a hot, thick liquid streaming down it.  
  
Hastily glancing up, his hand to his right cheek, Kenshin glimpsed a dark shadow perched in the branches of a tall oak tree, just outside of the dojo gates.  
  
The shadow lowered a bow and, as Kenshin stared at the figure, the shadow leaped out of the tree and away from the dojo. Several leaves fluttered to the ground.  
  
Kenshin stared at the shadow's wake for a long minute, violet eyes crackling with amber fire. What was he doing here??  
  
Kenshin whirled around to see what had passed by his cheek, long fiery hair flying behind him, and stiffened.  
  
There, embedded in the wooden dojo wall just behind him, a long, wooden- shafted arrow quivered. Its feathers were trembling as the arrow recoiled from the impact with the dojo wall.  
  
Kenshin stared up at the arrow, amethyst eyes wide in horror. His hands clenched into fists at his side, and he gritted his teeth together.  
  
Attached to the arrow shaft was a white piece of paper with words written boldly on it, folded over many times and secured around the shaft.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: This was completed and put out on my birthday...! Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks to all you great people who are constantly supporting me! Thank you so much! And, uh, sorry for the weeklong wait!  
  
-Twilight Sky


	7. Striking Hope

Author's Note: Alright, I've finally thought out a schedule for updating. I plan to update twice a week, with some exception (homework, etc.). By the way, forget that Soujirou wears breeches! I made a slight mistake in that, so now I'll portray him wearing a comfortable hakama and gi -. You know, I actually didn't think I'd make it to fifty reviews. I thought I would only get 20 or 30, tops. But you guys blew that away, easily! Thank you... There was something else I wanted to say....hmmm...what was it? ARGH! I'll think of it later.  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Dragon Master271: You're welcome! And thanks!  
  
GoldAngel2: Wow...I don't know what to say...except I'm so happy to hear that! -  
  
Whisper of Darkness: Thanks! Exactly my intentions.  
  
NargieGirl21: Thank you--I'll definitely try my hardest!  
  
Shihali: You've guessed it! I wouldn't doubt Kaoru's character for a second -. By the way, the ki that Kenshin sensed is just the ki of a black-outfitted lackey. Nothing to get overly excited over.  
  
Brittanie Love: I hope two times a week is soon enough for you!

Arteme: When I read your review, suddenly an earsplitting grin (and I mean earsplitting) exploded onto my face. My sister glanced over and immediately deducted that I had gone insane, sitting in front of the computer screen and grinning my head off. So I guess she's ready to send me off to the funny farm...  
  
Shiomei: Thank you! I had a really good time, in fact.  
  
rurouni madness: If I went through Kaoru's predicament, I'd probably have tried to beat up Shishio the first time I get. First: a hard slap in the face with dominant hand. Second: Yank the green rug out from under him. Third: give him a swift kick in the family jewels. Seriously! He makes me SO mad... and that's why I like writing a fic with him in it!  
  
Disclaimer: The characters, storyline, and heck, the plot kind of isn't mine. I'm basing this fic on the Legend of Kyoto subset of Rurouni Kenshin. But hey, you still can't exactly copy my idea! (Well, without informing me, that is, and actually asking ).

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 7: Striking Hope**DAY TWO--6:20 am  
  
Kaoru angrily gripped the edges of the crimson drapes in her pale hands. Her knuckles showed a startling white against the background of the red drapes.  
  
How could this be? She had been so close. So close.  
  
She furiously wrung out the curtains in her hands, and slowly sank to the carpeted ground, wanting to scream out her anger and frustration. A hint of shining tears threatened to spill over from her sapphire eyes, but she determinedly forced them back.  
  
Kaoru sat there on the carpeted ground, stiff back against the locked door, and stared numbly at the twisted handfuls of red drape wound around her fists. A heavy lump formed in her throat, making it painful to swallow.  
  
She didn't know how long she lay there, listening to the soft and persistent ticking of Soujirou's gold-rimmed pocketwatch. Which was now sprawled on its side, lying near the double front doors. Kaoru couldn't see where the pocketwatch lay, as the pale yellow couch was blocking her way.  
  
Her back started to ache from leaning against the stiff wooden door, and she finally got up. This was a difficult feat, as her right foot had unfortunately fallen asleep. As she struggled to stand up, pinpricks of numb pain shot through her swelling foot and she stumbled heavily, starting to fall.  
  
She seemed to fall in slow motion, plummeting to the ground. Her breath caught in her throat, and her loose, long raven hair flew back. Suddenly, a flash of deja vu hit her square in the back. This fall reminded her of how she had fallen in the woods near her dojo--right before she had fainted from loss of blood--right before she had been captured--  
  
The side table, next to the yellow couch, loomed in her view. The lone candle perched on the round surface of the side table flickered crazily in her view, as she fell toward the table.  
  
Finally she crashed into the side table, knocking it over. It smashed into the green carpet, and the candle toppled over. Lying among the protruding wooden legs of the side table, Kaoru watched in horror as the candle tipped over. She knew what would happen when it reached the ground--and she had no bucket of water close by. Heck, there wasn't even any water in this room at all.  
  
Almost unconsciously, Kaoru shot out a pale arm to catch the falling candle. Her elbow smashed into a leg of the side table, and she winced as lightning bolts of pain shot up and down her arm. In her mind, she prayed.  
  
Luckily, Kaoru was able to catch the candle before it hit the ground and exploded into flame. She had seized the side of it, so the tiny flame hadn't sputtered out in her palm.  
  
Sighing in unsuppressed relief, Kaoru stretched her arm as far as it would go and gently set the candle, with its dish, right-side up on the ground, so to allow her room to untangle herself from the mess with the side table. A wooden leg jutted into her ribs, and one pressed against her smooth cheek. The other crushed against her elbow, sending waves of electricity up her arm.  
  
Wincing, Kaoru backed out of the mess and straightened up, quickly clenching her left forearm as red-tinged pain flashed in the wound on her left shoulder. The fall had jolted both of her wounds, and the side table's legs didn't help matters. Poking her cruelly hadn't helped at all, smashing into her elbow and almost numbing it...  
  
Kaoru gasped, clapping her right hand to her mouth. For she had just gotten a bright flash of inspiration.  
  
She hurried back to the fallen side table, long silky raven-blue hair flying behind her. She knelt down to the side table, which was sprawled heavily on its side. Taking one of the three legs into her hands, she examined it, running her index finger down the wooden stick, measuring it with her calculating sapphire eyes, trying to imagine the leg not attached to the circular surface of the side table.  
  
The leg stopped a few inches short of a regular bokken, but otherwise, it was the perfect size. However, it didn't matter--the Kamiya Kasshin Style maintained the fact that you could use anything in your efforts to protect others. Once, when her bokken had cracked in half, it had still been useful in succeeding to whip the bad guy's butt. This side table leg would be perfect for wielding. It didn't matter that it was carved in a curving, Oriental way.  
  
And now--she finally had a weapon.  
  
She could finally defend herself.  
  
Whoever tries to come in, Kaoru told herself proudly, better regret it.  
  
This sudden but rewarding discovery almost made up for the locked door that she assumed opened up to a dark, secret passageway. It almost did.  
  
Without further hesitation, Kaoru set at the task of trying to remove the wooden leg from the side table. As she pulled at the delicately carved leg with her hands, she noticed how sturdy the wood was. This was going to be one fine weapon--it didn't even matter that the table's legs were carved intricately.  
  
A surge of happy hope filled Kaoru, brightening its way from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. The extra strength helped her in deftly ripping the leg from the table. It had been securely attached, but her superstrength and bursting hope had practically done the job for her.  
  
Now, Kaoru grasped the end of the wooden leg in her hands. It was slightly slick because of the shiny rosewood oil applied to it. But no matter--she would find a way to scrub it off.  
  
As Kaoru wielded the wooden leg and brought it down hard, she almost lost her grip. The carved edges of the leg bit into her palm and fingers, so she'd have a tough time handling the leg. No matter, Kaoru decided. She would put a grip on it--and her obi seemed perfect for the job.  
  
Kaoru strode over happily to the yellow couch, hefting the leg in her hands and not bothering to clean up the mess behind her, consisting of the two- legged side table and the pile of scattered candles and matches on the ground.  
  
Perching on the edge of the couch, Kaoru reached down to rip her magenta obi off. Her long, nimb fingers grasped the edges of it, and she pulled the obi from around her middle. A bright smile on her rosy lips, she set to work on improving her new 'bokken'.

---------------------------------  
6:25 am  
  
The invisible, cheery birds sang their early morning tunes, singing in high- pitched voices. The leafy tops of trees gently rustled in the calm breeze. All was quiet and still.  
  
However, to the shocked Kenshin, the world had come to a halting stop.  
  
He couldn't take his wide violet eyes off the violently shivering arrow, embedded in the dojo wall.  
  
The long, wooden arrow that had shot directly at him, grazing his cheek and piercing the dojo wall just behind him.  
  
This was a horrible omen. He could feel it. And it most likely had something to do with Kaoru-dono.  
  
Kaoru-dono.  
  
Kenshin forced his leaden legs to move. He dashed over to the dojo's wooden side and to the arrow, mind numb with fear for what he was about to see. Tied around the arrow's long wooden shaft was a tightly-folded paper.  
  
Kenshin's eyes narrowed, and he reached up with his right arm to yank out the arrow. Grasping the wooden shaft, he braced the palm of his left hand against the dojo wall and pulled. Finally the arrow pulled out of the wall, and Kenshin almost fell backward. The arrow had been imbedded pretty deep in.  
  
Carefully handling the slim arrow with his right thumb and forefinger, like it had an incurable disease, Kenshin stepped away from the dojo's wall and plunked down on the top step of the three wooden steps, left arm automatically bracing himself from toppling over. He couldn't tear his eyes from the tightly wrapped piece of folded paper around the arrow's shaft.  
  
Licking his suddenly dry lips, he laid the slender arrow onto his knees. The wooden arrow stood out among the clean whiteness of his hakama, the hakama's baggy folds surrounding the dent of the arrow.  
  
Kenshin's fiery-red bangs completely covered his dark eyes, shielding them from view and throwing them into a haunting shadow. He licked his lips again, twining his fingers together.  
  
Come on! he told himself, biting his lower lip. No use in stalling--might as well see what the paper says.  
  
But try as he might to yell at himself, try to get himself to untie the thickly-folded piece of paper from the arrow, and unfold the note, he just couldn't.  
  
Kenshin just sat there, the seemingly innocent wooden arrow perched on his white-hakama'd knees, his magenta gi flapping in the gentle morning breeze, amethyst eyes clouded, long, thin fingers twined together.  
  
Until he dimly heard Sanosuke bang open the door to his room, and call loudly for him.  
  
"Kenshin! Kenshin! Is breakfast ready yet? Oi, Kenshin!"  
  
Kenshin violently started, feeling guilty for having sat there on the dojo's front steps for such a long time, unwilling to at least open up the thicky folded paper. He quickly untwined his fidgeting fingers and reached for the arrow, grabbing it up and hastily untying the piece of white paper, folded over and over horizontally many times.  
  
In his haste, he almost ripped the piece of paper apart, trying to unfold it. His nimble fingers, useful to him in so many battles, failed him. Now his fingers just seemed like heavy blocks of wood, knocking into each other and totally useless in his task.  
  
After fumbling around for a few minutes, his block-like fingers finally managed to grasp the edge of the knot and pull, slightly undoing the tight knot. He shudderingly drew in a deep breath and plucked at the knot again, occasionally failing to grasp the knot and having his thumbnail cutting into his index fingerpad.  
  
Finally, the knot came apart, and the long, thickly folded piece of paper dropped heavily to the second step. It was creased in the center from having been tied to the arrow's shaft, and it tumbled around vaguely from the slight morning breeze.  
  
Kenshin hastily bent down for the paper, the back of his magenta gi becoming taut. The fingers of his left hand gripped the edge of the step as he straightened back up with the paper that had been knotted around the arrow. In the fingers of his right hand, he tightly clenched the note, knuckles bone-white.  
  
This was it--he couldn't stall any longer.  
  
As the red-haired samurai started to slowly unfold the thickly-folded slip of paper, a strong feeling of foreboding blasted him full in the chest, sending him reeling. Of course, this paper had strong, unpleasant vibes hanging on to it. Kenshin could sense it.  
  
Biting his lip, Kenshin rolled out the extremely creased paper. Now he could see the boldly imprinted words on the paper, now naked to the world after the paper had been unfolded.  
  
A turmoil of emotions rose up in Kenshin. No--he couldn't read it--he couldn't!  
  
Heart pounding, palms sweating, he shook out the note with difficulty, so to completely unfold the paper. And finally, he brought his clouded violet eyes down to the crinkled paper and started to read the stark, carefully scribbled letters.  
  
"Battousai-  
  
We have your woman.  
  
Don't try to play any unnecessary games with us. Do so or the girl dies.  
  
To reclaim her, come to the Six-Gated temple in Kyoto. Surely you know where that is.  
  
You won't get your woman back unless you defeat the top Juppongatana members.  
  
Lastly, you must fight me to finally settle things between us. Lose, and you will suffer drastic consequences.  
  
Shishio"  
  
A turmoil of barely suppressed emotions bubbled up inside the fiery-haired man sitting tensely on the dojo steps. He clenched his teeth tightly together.  
  
Kenshin's eyes had been narrow and gleaming with anger as he read the note. Now, his usual shining amethyst eyes had hardened to a cool yet burning liquid gold color. With an angry gesture, he deftly tore the crinkled piece of paper into two equal halves and hurled them away from him. Angrily, he shoved himself up from his sitting position.  
  
"Shishio," Kenshin breathed, hands clenching together into tight fists. In his mind, the horrifying dream from this morning replayed, and again he saw Kaoru-dono, lying limp on the misty ground. Shuddering, he sank back down to the top step and clasped his hands to his head, trying to rid away the horrifying image. His head pounded with an indignant fury like never before.  
  
How dare he take away Kaoru-dono??

TO BE CONTINUED

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Author's Note: I remember what I forgot to say! Anyway, I wanted to ask you all: How do you add in bold/underlined/italicized words into a fic? I know you have to use HTML documents or something, but do you have to do that? (Sorry, I'm a little confused...). Anyway, I don't follow instructions well, so if you help me on this, then you'll have to be VERY clear and VERY detailed in your explanation... -; Wait for the next chapter in a few days!  
  
-Twilight Sky 


	8. Hindering Obstacles

Author's Note: ....MY NON-UPDATING RECORD!!! Sorry to keep you all in suspense for two weeks (mountains and oceans of homework). One more thing before we proceed on: A huge ocean of thanks goes to Shihali and LadySword04 for helping me with the bold/italics thing! (And um, very detailed! Even I was able to follow the directions! I'm not doing it for this chapter--remember the stupid virus in my computer? Everything had to be cleaned out and my dad forgot to put in Microsoft Word. So I'm typing this on WordPad.) But actually, I asked at the wrong time--FF.net just put in a QuickEdit so you can do bold/italics. Thanks anyway!  
  
REMINDER TO ALL: This fic is a rewriting of the Kyoto Arc/Tales of the Meiji (a subset in three of the Rurouni Kenshin series). So some events will be skewered, but they'll be there! And different things will happen in the plot, as it is the plot that's different.  
  
Review Responses: (they're gonna be short!)  
  
Brittanie Love and Dragon Master271: Excellent! Thank you guys!  
  
Shihali: You're giving me tons of great ideas...Expect events and ideas you recognize later on!  
  
LadySword04: Thank you! I'll definitely stick out more chapters after what you told me.  
  
Arteme: Another review of yours that makes me blush...! I know, Jin-e already set a perfectly good example for the other villains but they're STILL not getting the picture!  
  
rurouni madness: Muahahahahha!! This fic should also be stuck underneath 'Suspense' but there's also Romance and Drama and so many other topics...  
  
PrincessSakura4: Oh wow, thanks! Haha, I jumped around and screamed after I read your review... I must keep my sanity to continue this story!  
  
Whisper of Darkness: Exactly what I'm aiming for.  
  
assassinatorgirl: You say my fic's good, heck, just look at yours! I should put you on Author Alert--I can't wait for your next update!  
  
misenagi: I'll try!  
  
Disclaimer: (too lazy) Just look at the first chapter's disclaimer! Sheesh, I'm not creative like other people are...!

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**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 8: Hindering Obstacles **DAY TWO--7:15 am  
  
Yet another long, dark strand of silky hair fell into her face. Kaoru sighed again and shoved it out of the way of her working area, but it tumbled back down again. Pressing her full, red lips together in annoyance, she tossed aside the ornately carved table leg and silky magenta obi onto the couch next to her. Now she could use her free hands to gather up the silky mass of raven-blue hair and stuff it down the back of her cerulean-blue kimono.  
  
This technique seemed to work quite well. Turning her head back and forth, up and down, Kaoru tried to see if any dark silky strands of hair fell out yet again. The bushy mass stayed folded up against each other in the back of her kimono, and a relieved smile touched Kaoru's lips.  
  
Turning her head back down to scrutinize the table leg, she reached out with her pale right hand to gently scoop up the magenta obi. In her left hand, she picked up the polished table leg and shifted her hand down the length of it so to tie the obi around the opposite end as a grip.  
  
Kaoru fumbled about with the long piece of silky magenta cloth in her right hand, folding it over once on itself and snapping it out, ridding away the wrinkles. Laying down the polished redwood table leg across on her knees, she snapped out the obi in her hand again and quickly wrapped it around the straightest end of the redwood table leg. With a flourish, she wound the obi around and around the dark, oily wood, rotating the redwood stick to straighten the magenta wrappings. Finally, after much of the obi's length was used to wrap the straight end of the redwood table leg, Kaoru used the remaining length to tie a quick knot and tuck it into the tight folds of the wrappings.  
  
A smile appeared on Kaoru's heart-shaped face as she scrutinized her hasty work, and the heavily contrasting colors almost blinded her sapphire-blue eyes. The deep magenta color of the silky obi clashed with the smooth red- brown of the table leg.  
  
Time to test out her 'masterpiece'.  
  
Kaoru stood up, the blue wrinkled folds of her loose kimono straightening out. She straightened the 'bokken' in her hands so that she was grasping the magenta obi-wrapped end tightly, and stepped forward with her right foot. Bringing her arms up high in the air, she slashed straight downwards with the bokken.  
  
Her late father's voice echoed through her mind, ringing clear as silver bells.  
  
"Don't slow down your slashing speed when you hit your target. Imagine hitting straight through your target, not on it. This will increase your skill greatly, magnifying it several times more than when you slow down."  
  
She scrunched up her eyes, dark lashes accentuated against her pale skin, and with a loud "HAH!" she swung the wooden leg downwards, with a force to rival a tremendous tornado's.  
  
Her whole body had thrust forward with the wooden 'sword'. The far tip of the wooden 'bokken' almost touched the ground, and her arms extended straight out, grasping the obi-wrapped end of the table leg.  
  
The wooden, oil-slick stick didn't interfere with her swing anymore.  
  
Kaoru smiled, tossing her sheet of shiny hair behind her shoulders, as it had cascaded out of the back of her kimono as she had practiced with her new weapon. Setting down the reconstructed wooden table leg onto the yellow couch, she brought her oil-slick hands up to her face to examine them. They were shiny and tinged a copper red from the oil used to shine the side table's legs. Frowning in distaste, Kaoru swiped her hands onto her already-dirty blue kimono. However, when she brought her hands back up, the oily shine still glistened on her fingers and palms.  
  
What an absolute mess I must look, Kaoru thought, a wry smile touching the edges of her sakura-blossom lips. Her blue kimono hung straight down without her obi to serve as a type of fashion accessory. Much worse than that, there were so many dirty streaks on her kimono, all over the soft blue cloth. This was mostly crimson bloodstains, streaks of fine grainy dirt from the earth of the woods, and now the oily red-tinged smears of rosewood oil from the heavily-polished table leg.  
  
The shiny 'bokken' casually lay on the right side of the yellow couch. Kaoru licked her dry bottom lip and glanced at it, narrowing her eyes. The ornate, Oriental-style carving and sharp angles of the table leg was a factor in how effective the 'bokken' would be, as Kaoru had to wield it properly and steadily in order to have the highest level of self-defense possible.  
  
She pressed her blossom-like lips together in serious thought, gazing at the length of redwood with a wrapping of magenta cloth around one end. She needed to straighten out the sharp angles to get a firmer grasp...even the obi wasn't enough...  
  
And then a vital piece of information popped into her head. It was like someone had just stuck it there. Ask a question, receive an answer.  
  
Some swordsmen sharpened their blunt swords by using a sharpener. They angled the blade in a certain way, so the rectangular rock-like sharpener could whittle away at the metal and thus the blade would be sharpened.  
  
And in prehistoric times, (AN: Don't know if Japanese people know about these times...--;;;) the ancestors of modern humans today sharpened THEIR weapons by striking them against a hard surface.  
  
It was worth a shot. Except Kaoru wouldn't be sharpening the ornately carved table leg; she would be blunting it, making it straighter, smoothing out the sharp angles.  
  
Kaoru didn't know if this would work or not. But even if she couldn't smooth out the sharp angles, she could at least get the greasy, shining oil off the length of wood.  
  
A hard surface...  
  
Kaoru twisted around and glanced around the moderately-sized room. A hard surface...  
  
Of course, it was so obvious. She could use the walls--or the hardwood ground beyond the green rug--or even the remains of the 'side table'...  
  
It didn't matter. As long as she got to work now.  
  
Kaoru leaned over, midnight-blue hair cascading in a dark waterfall over her shoulders, and scooped up the redwood table leg in her hands. She made for the fallen side table first.  
  
Stepping her way gingerly through the pile of unlit matches and candles, sidestepping the upright, lone lit candle in its tiny gleaming dish, she reached the side table. She stooped down, flowing blue kimono parting slightly, and gently balanced the stick of wood onto her right knee, so to free her hands to lift up the slightly waist-high side table.  
  
Kaoru lay the two-legged table onto her other knee, the circular surface pointing to her and the two legs jutting out away from her. With her pale right hand, she lifted up the single redwood table leg and grasped the end with the obi wrappings tightly. With her left hand, she held down the side table. Now she was in a good position to start sanding away.  
  
Kaoru got to work, the only sounds in the room the grinding sound of wood against wood, her soft breathing, and the steady ticking of Soujirou's pocket watch that was lying near the double front doors.

------------------------------  
8:00am  
  
Kenshin had sat there on the cold wooden dojo steps for who knows how long.  
  
His usually clear amethyst eyes were clouded over, as he stared dully at the two ripped pieces of the crumpled note lying on the bottom step, next to his sandaled feet.  
  
His mind swirled in dark, thick clouds. No thought could strike through the dull haze in his mind.  
  
His white, straight teeth clenched, opaque violet eyes staring, he clenched his two hands into tight fists.  
  
The sound of windchimes sang through the beautiful spring morning. But the red-haired samurai couldn't enjoy them. Not today. Probably not ever-- until he could...  
  
What?  
  
What could he do?  
  
He drew his right foot back a little on the step, the sandal sliding across the wood in a dry sound. He could do what the note told him to do...  
  
Yes, that's what he would do.  
  
His horrible, vivid dream from earlier this morning flashed back into his cloudy mind.  
  
Yes, of course he would follow the note's instructions. Anything to save...Kaoru-dono.  
  
His cloudy violet eyes flashed a cool, burning liquid gold color for a moment. Shishio. How dare he...  
  
"Kenshin! I thought you said you were going to do breakfast?!" a masculine voice roared across the dojo.  
  
Kenshin stayed where he was, perched on the wooden front steps of the Kamiya dojo. He pressed his lips against one another and stared straight ahead at the dojo gates.  
  
Then he felt--and heard-- thudding footsteps vibrating through the floor. Sanosuke.  
  
The gangly, late-teens man stopped beside Kenshin, looking him up and down. "Kenshin, have you been sitting here for the last two hours?" the chocolate-haired man bewilderingly questioned him.  
  
Kenshin slowly blinked his bleary eyes, and they focused. Tilting his head up to look the taller man in the eye, he remained silent.  
  
Sano stuffed his large, long-fingered hands into his wide pockets and glanced around the place where Kenshin was perched like a stone statue. Then his warm brown eyes settled on the ripped halves of the creased note. "Kenshin....what the hell?"  
  
From here, Sano could make out bold, spiky markings on the two ripped pieces of paper.  
  
Abandoning the still Kenshin, Sano leaped down the steps and hastily scooped up the two pieces of paper. From what he could see, they fit perfectly together. Two puzzle pieces that made up a single jigsaw puzzle.  
  
His large hands trembled as he fit the pieces together.  
  
"What the FUCK?!" Sano yelled, crumpling up the two halves of the already- wrinkled note in his hands. "Jo-chan--Jo-chan...god, Kenshin, no wonder you're like that!"  
  
Kenshin's face was tightly clenched as he tried to hold back his overwhelming emotions.  
  
Sano looked up at him, sitting on the top step, and looked down at the crumpled ball of paper he held in his trembling hands. Angrily, he flung down the ball at his feet.  
  
"So Jo-chan's been kidnapped by Shishio--that bastard," Sano said haltingly. "Then we have to--then we have to--"  
  
Kenshin glanced up hastily, violet eyes narrowed into two slits. "Sanosuke, no. It's only me that's going, understand that? You'll be staying here."  
  
Sano flinched at his red-headed friend's icy tone. But then he clenched his fists tightly, so that his knuckles showed white all around. "Shit, Kenshin, stop trying to take responsibility for everything! You're always doing that!"  
  
Kenshin's violet eyes focused on Sano, widening.  
  
Sano continued relentlessly.  
  
"Look, this is Shishio you're talking about. Shishio! The hitokiri! He couldn't be killed, both by a gunshot in the head and being burned at tremendous temperatures! What does that say to you? You're going to need help fighting him! And I'm coming with you! You understand, Kenshin?"  
  
Sano drew in a deep breath and brought the back of his right hand up to wipe away some spittle on his lower lip. He just had to get across to Kenshin that if he wanted to get Jo-chan back, he would need backup.  
  
Sanosuke was just opening his mouth again, but slowly, Kenshin drew his bushy-red head up to gaze up at him. A wry smile tugged up the corner of a lip. "I suppose...you're right, Sanosuke."  
  
Sano drew back, a little surprised at Kenshin's quick response. But then he smiled back at Kenshin, red ribbon flapping behind his spiky head. "I'm glad you understand that."  
  
Suddenly there was a slight rustling sound, coming near the dojo walls. Sano snapped up his spiky brown head quickly, red Sekihoutai ribbon flapping. Kenshin quickly twisted around.  
  
Sano drew in a deep breath. "Who's there?" he bellowed, eyes narrowing.  
  
Slowly, trembling, Yahiko emerged from behind a open doorway. His yellow gi flapped as he stepped out of the darkness of the doorway and walked over to the stiff Kenshin, biting his lip.  
  
Sano visibly relaxed.  
  
Yahiko lowered his eyes, spiky dark head wavering. "I--I heard what you-- said," he haltingly murmured, absently scuffing the wooden floor with his right toe. "And--" he abruptly jerked his head up to glare Kenshin and Sano in the eye--"I want to come along!"  
  
Sano's face was solemn. "Yahiko--" he began.  
  
"And don't you dare call me little!" Yahiko angrily yelled. "I can help you guys! Don't think I can't! I know you need me! And I want to help to get Kaoru back as much as you guys want to!" His chest heaved with indignation.  
  
Kenshin smiled tenderly at the outraged boy. "I'm sure you can come with us, if you really want to save Kaoru-dono," he told Yahiko. "We'll really appreciate the extra help."  
  
Kenshin stood up and walked over to the spiky-haired boy.  
  
Yahiko quickly glanced up at Kenshin, fury evaporating. "Th-that's good, because--because--"  
  
With a small, emotion-wracked cry, Yahiko flung himself at Kenshin. Surprised, the red-haired samurai managed to steady himself by stepping back with his left foot. Yahiko clutched Kenshin hard, squeezing his brown eyes shut, tears of frustration seeping out of his shut eyes. "I just can't believe that--Kaoru--"  
  
Kenshin gently smiled down at Yahiko, who now seemed very little and innocent. "I know, Yahiko...I know."  
  
Sano felt his lips curve up in a smile as he watched the two.  
  
Then came a slight predator's sneaking footstep behind them, at the dojo gates.  
  
Quick as a flash, Sano swiveled around, chocolate brown eyes widening. His flapping white shirt with the boldly imprinted character on the back undulated wildly as Sano swung around to face the dojo gates.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt the little--ah--moment, but I'd like to have a little chat with the Battousai," came a silky, cool masculine voice.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry to keep you all hanging there for two weeks, but it's the time of the horrendous end-of-year tests... THE STRESS! THE STRESS!! So maybe I'll update once a week now... One little thing: I'm so happy to hear that you guys love this story! You have no idea how happy that makes me feel. So I'm updating longer chapters because of you all... Wait for the next chapter NEXT WEEK! (By the way, it must be hard writing reviews, if you already reviewed for all the past chapters! It's kind of like, What should I write here now? So I would appreciate it if, you don't have anything more to say, you could comment on some mistakes I'm making now and other aspects to help me improve...thanks!)  
  
-Twilight Sky


	9. Liquid Amber Eyes

Author's Note: Thanks for all the help, you guys! I really appreciate it! A little thought: I was reading over my chapters recently, for some absurd reason (homework procrastination, I suppose). As I reread the first two chapters, I was astounded at how horrible the writing seemed (no, wait! Just let me continue first!). Then I moved on to the next chapters, like the 5th, 6th, and 7th, and was struck in the face by how awesome the details and metaphors were compared to the first chapter. Okay, y'all may think I'm bragging now, but seriously! I'm glad I'm improving, just by writing a fanfic. Proves that some excuses for homework procrastination really benefit you, for the better. I'm BLABBERING away in my Author's Note- -!  
  
Review Responses (very short as well):  
  
Whisper of Darkness, DragonMaster271, Brittanie Love, catti-dono, little bumblebee: Thanks a bunch! YIPPEE!! -skips around- I got SO happy after I read your reviews! -skips around some more-  
  
Shihali: NO! I HATE PLOT HOLES!! Must research more...Ah, yes, on the topic of research. I went on to this fantastic website that told of how each event proceeded, in precise detail. And I read up on the Kyoto Arc, and now the future chapters will have less plot holes, I guess. But for that one... How about if another event had happened before that...that told the Kenshingumi that Shishio was alive... Well, you're like my beta-reader (not that I have one), catching each of my BIG mistakes! And not everyone knows the Kyoto Arc in great detail like you do...so ah...let's just explain this away, hmm? --;;; Or will that work?  
  
Arteme: Thank ya! You're such a good reviewer...-tries to hide tomato-red cheeks- hahaha....I'm embarrassed now. --;;;; Seriously, thank you so much!  
  
rurouni madness: Don't worry about it--Kenshin's plotting something...oh you bad boy you, Kenshin!  
  
assassinatorgirl: I'm so sorry to hear that! (For my own sake --;) I'm waiting for your next chapter! I can't wait for when Jin-e turns all mean and shows his face! Thanks for reading my story! I really appreciate it! (And what's more, you actually like it! Gasp!)  
  
Okay, I was lying when I said there were going to be short review responses...  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Rurouni Kenshin, this story idea is mine. Too brain- dead to think of something really creative.

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 9: Liquid Amber Eyes**

DAY TWO -- 9:00 am  
  
"Sorry to interrupt the little--ah--moment, but I'd like to have a little chat with the Battousai," came a silky, cool masculine voice from the front dojo gates.  
  
The tall, spiky-headed man stiffened visibly. He quickly drew up his large, knuckled fists and swiveled around, feeling his brown eyes narrow as he glared at the figure standing nonchalantly at the front gates. The long red ribbon wound once around his head flared up angrily, undulating frantically.  
  
Yahiko quickly drew himself away from Kenshin's warm, comforting embrace, automatically reaching down for the wooden bokken he had tucked into the tie of his forest green hakama.  
  
Kenshin, in surprise, snapped his head around to lay his amethyst violet eyes on the dark-blue outfitted man. His shiny fiery hair swirled around his shoulders, catching the morning light shining onto the dojo grounds. He cautiously stepped back with his sandaled left heel, turning around to face the stranger.  
  
Leaning casually and rather nonchalantly against the right pillar of the front gate was a tall, slender man dressed entirely in dark blue.  
  
His sharply slanted, narrow golden eyes were those of a hitokiri's.  
  
Beside him, Kenshin could hear Yahiko slowly draw in a surprised gasp. Sano didn't budge from his still, drawn-fist position.  
  
In the stranger's gloved right hand, he held a slim white cigarette up to his thin lips. A slight sneer curling his lips, he gently blew out a gray column of smoke through his nostrils. Dark, stringy brown hair hung over his eyes, giving him a mysterious aura--the rest of his cropped hair was slicked back. His pale face was sharply angular, clean of facial hair. He looked to be around Kenshin's age, or maybe older.  
  
Sano visibly twitched, feeling dangerous, uncomfortable vibes coming off of this tall guy with the bad hair. He clenched his knuckles tighter, bent casually forward, more than ready to launch a punch at this guy if anything ...unexpected...were to happen.  
  
Stepping forward with his right foot threateningly, Sanosuke angrily demanded, "Who the hell are you? What the fuck are you really doing here?"  
  
The stranger smirked carelessly, extracted the smoking cigarette from his lips, and flicked it onto the ground. Grinding it under his shiny black heel, he reached up with his right hand and lifted off the blue police cap he had perched on his head.  
  
"Fujita Goro, at your service," the tall stranger coldly replied, a tiny smirk lifting up the corners of his mouth once again, and mockingly bowed to the livid Sanosuke. "Now, I would like to speak to the Battousai, _if you don't mind_." These last words he threw in Sano's face like a splash of icy cold water.  
  
Sano recoiled angrily, stepping back from his fighting stance, curling and uncurling his fists. He could imagine sinking one of them into that bastard's smirking face, grinding it in, drawing it back again and launching forward, into the clean, angular nose...  
  
Fujita Goro lifted his head and looked away from Sanosuke, at the still Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin stared back at the stranger, something flickering in his violet eyes. He slowly stepped forward with his right foot, unnerved by the stranger's eyes. Something oddly familiar about them... Just step away from the whole picture--away from the police outfit--  
  
The tall man's mocking smirk deepened.  
  
"There's something different about you, Battousai..."  
  
Kenshin's back straightened. He looked Fujita Goro in the narrow eye. "There's something different about you, too, Saitou Hajime."  
  
'Fujita Goro' stepped back quickly, surprised. His already narrow golden eyes narrowed even deeper, turning into twin slits. The smirk disappeared from his angular face. Then it returned again.  
  
"Well, well....nothing less from the great _Battousai_." Saitou straightened and glared at Kenshin again. "Or are you? You don't have the strong chi of the legendary hitokiri any longer. You've turned soft." It wasn't a question.  
  
"Saitou Hajime, Captain of the 3rd Division of the Shinsengumi," Kenshin returned solemnly. "Aku Soku Zan, was it? Kill evil instantly. But now -- " Kenshin indicated Saitou's dark blue police outfit with a downward tip of his bushy red head--"you're working for the police now, aren't you?"  
  
Saitou's smirk dissolved to a straight line slashed abruptly across his face. "The secret police, yes." His liquid amber eyes narrowed even deeper, and he brusquely continued, "I've been sent here by the police chief. But you, Battousai--your chi has weakened, and your whole demeanor almost radiates ..._gentleness_." His lip curled at the exaggeration.  
  
Kenshin lifted up his head and stared at Saitou, memories of before playing through in his head.  
  
They had been fighting, he knew that. And Saitou had been very strong...IS very strong, Kenshin dutifully corrected himself. The battle was very close, and they hadn't been able to finish. The victor hadn't been decided yet--and it had looked as if it would be a draw...  
  
Saitou glared back at Kenshin, folding his arms nonchalantly. He, too, was thinking of the past... drawing up his bloody blade to fend off the Battousai's surprisingly strong blows, nimbly executing each strike, trying frantically to measure the Battousai's sudden swings...  
  
And then he had gotten the lead. Then it was the Battousai's turn to lead. Then--it would have all been over by Saitou's hand had not they been abruptly interrupted.  
  
"We'll finish this fight, Battousai..."  
  
A slight parting, tinged with bitterness.  
  
Saitou's eyes flared venomously. He uncrossed his arms and pushed himself up angrily from his casual position against the front gate's right pillar, gloved hands down at sides, golden eyes fixed on Kenshin's solemn face.  
  
Kenshin stood there stiffly on the dojo steps, shoulders back, thick red hair whipping against his shoulders and back, also thinking of their incomplete fight...  
  
Yahiko, tongue against his teeth, looked between the two men. He could see the tension boiling up between them, feel the pressure crackling like solid electricity hanging in the air. The tops of the leafy trees beyond the dojo gate tossed slightly in the breeze, murmuring dry whispers. Several green leaves escaped from their branches and swirled in the slight wind, over the dojo gate, and onto the dojo grounds, swirling in a neat circle between Kenshin and Saitou.  
  
Saitou abruptly broke the glass-spiked wall of tension, taking a striding step forward. He stopped there, looking Kenshin straight in the eye. His tongue darted out of his mouth, the tip lingering at the edge of his thin lips. "Let's finish this, Battousai." The edges of his mouth turned downwards in a grim, determined line.  
  
Kenshin jerked with a slight tremor running through him at the four icy words. Finish--the fight--ten years ago? He felt his eyes catch on fire, burning with a molten amber color.  
  
Saitou spoke, icy water splashing over his words. "Inside. We'll finish the fight inside this dojo--no one will stop us then."  
  
Sano had had enough.  
  
He bit down hard on his lower lip angrily and purposefully strode toward the still Kenshin, whose eyes were shadowed by his long fiery bangs. "Kenshin--I can't believe you would--"  
  
Kenshin's eyes narrowed.  
  
He thrust up his hand at Sano, indicating Sano to stop. "Stop it, Sano."  
  
Kenshin slowly glanced up at Sanosuke then, and his bangs fell away to reveal a pair of gleaming, narrowed, liquid-gold eyes. "I will finish this fight with Saitou."  
  
Saitou smirked visibly.  
  
Yahiko grimly knelt down, hands on the knees of his forest-green hakama, and hoarsely shouted out, "Sanosuke! We shouldn't interfere with this! It looks like Kenshin and Saitou're knee-deep in the past! Whatever happened between them, we should let them at least kick it out of the way, before going to get Kaoru! At least let Kenshin have that!"  
  
Sano stopped. He took a halting step back, away from Kenshin, and glanced over his shoulder at Yahiko, who seemed in desperation. Desperation to get Jo-chan back without any obstacles, Sano thought with a tinge of sadness. But if Kenshin were to get hurt fighting Saitou, then their little advantage would plummet...  
  
Kenshin abruptly turned on his heel, the dry, small sound resounding in the tensed silence, and headed into the dojo without another word. Saitou's narrow eyes flashed for a moment, and then he followed.  
  
Yahiko and Sano looked at each other. Then they too followed, the air still and heavy with what was to come.

---------------------------------  
9:30 am  
  
She had kept this up for a long time, to no avail. Her arm muscles were sore and stiff. Tomorrow, she thought ironically, she would develop large muscles like Sanosuke's.  
  
Every time she angrily rubbed at lightning speed, muscles pumping, wood grinding against wood, bright sparks flew in all the directions from the center of the grinding wood.  
  
She was going to set this place on fire soon if she didn't stop this pointless activity.  
  
And, Kaoru mused, grimacing, as she glanced around the room, this place really is a ready tinderbox.  
  
A tinderbox with wooden walls, hardwood floor, hardwood table.....  
  
"Baka! Baka!!" Kaoru chided herself grimly. Then the corners of her rosebud lips drew up in a half-smile, and her heart swelled with longing. Exactly how many times had she called herself a baka while 'residing' in this room? And how long had she been in here?  
  
Almost angrily, Kaoru deftly flung the oil-streaked two-legged wooden side table away from her lap. She gripped her makeshift bokken tightly in her right hand, and used that as an unsmooth leverage to boost herself up.  
  
Kaoru bit her bottom lip in pain as her back straightened out from her hours of crouching over the two pieces of wood, trying to grind them together. Her lower spine was a little numb, but that would go away shortly. Her head throbbed, making her a little dizzy also, but she shook that away quickly.  
  
Standing up gingerly, Kaoru gently shook out her stiff limbs. Then she raised the reconstructed table leg up to her calculating sapphire eyes, seeing what she had accomplished.  
  
It wasn't much. Rubbing wood against wood hadn't helped that much. But some of the sharp Oriental angles seemed to be slightly smoothed out, and most of the slick redwood oil had rubbed off onto the circular surface of the side table.  
  
So maybe the hours of frantically sanding had kind of paid off. Better than sitting around and not building up her muscles, to prepare for ...the future. It didn't look too bright as of now.  
  
Kaoru set down her bokken, absently chewing her lip in deep thought. Going after the next person who came into the room with a bokken...surely she could escape that way! And then Shishio wouldn't have the _privilege_ of using her against Kenshin--!  
  
Kenshin. Her head swam, dizzy waves pummeling her.  
  
At least she hadn't thought of him in hours. That was a start, in her goal to strengthen herself up.  
  
Kaoru closed her eyes tightly and brought her hands up to her head, clutching her forehead. She wouldn't...she wouldn't...she WOULDN'T cry again.  
  
Licking her dry bottom lip, she brought down her hands to her sides, trembling. She was fine--she had willed back the looming tears, the threat to spill herself over.  
  
She would train--yes, she would train! Harder than ever, every day in this wretched, boring place, she would push herself to strengthen her muscles. Fight against that bandaged mummy, fight against the always-happy Soujirou, find a way to escape out of here.  
  
She took a step forward.  
  
Suddenly, a crashing wave overcame her. A feeling of lightheadedness swam through her.  
  
_Oh yeah...I haven't eaten or drank in days_. The dawning realization came trudging through thick, resistant mud to her.  
  
The dimly lit room seemed to sway before her eyes. The yellow couch wavered, and vaguely swam around.  
  
Kaoru blindedly stumbled forward, and managed to grip the end of the yellow couch. Gasping in dry, long breaths, she rapidly blinked her sapphire eyes and tried to will away the lightheadedness.  
  
Stumbling up, she slowly grabbed her bokken off the ground. _Have to--have to hide it--what if someone comes -- takes it away--  
_  
Kaoru hastily tripped over to the yellow couch, cerulean blue eyes squinted, gripping the end of the bokken in her almost-limp hand. She managed to throw the bokken beneath her, and it rolled into the couch's soft back. Eyes fluttering, dark lashes standing out against her increasingly pale skin, she landed on the bumpy bokken, onto the couch. One end, the magenta obi-wrapped end, protruded out.  
  
That was the last she could sense before everything merged to form a black, black tapestry.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: I had fun typing out this chapter! It was like everything merged together to make me muster up details rapidly. Sorry if some of the characters are a bit OOC! I tried to make them act like themselves the best I could. I'm updating weekly now, due to my tremendous homework load, so expect me to update on Saturday or Sunday!  
  
-Twilight Sky 


	10. Into the Past

Author's Note: Hello! Yet another updating date skipped...but the good news! I've come back revitalized and ready to go! (with my huge math test accomplished effortlessly!) But the bad news—I'VE LOST THE SPEECH COMPETITION!!! NO!!! Well, I suppose I didn't deserve to win, but...THE SHAME!!! (Hey, you would be ashamed if there were only four other excellent competitors...) It's just too bad, I guess. But the winner is a little unpopular, so a fellow competitor was crying today and everyone's complaining about the choice...oh my goodness. The angst! The sheet angst! Just kidding, it wasn't that bad. So...I have got to understand that I can't accomplish everything in life, ne?

A sad confession: My parents are going to divorce—well, at least, there's a strong possibility. Right now, they're seriously discussing it in the living room, and I'm typing away in the computer room. I hope they don't...I don't want to feel the pain and lose the family's familiarity, which millions of other people have felt...  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Arteme: Wahh!! You're so kind!!! Yeah, I'm sorry for the confusing part about the past battle between Battousai and Saitou. I guess only Battousai and Saitou would know what I was talking about...  
  
Assassinatorgirl: Thanks for the wonderful compliments! Don't worry; the answer to your question will soon pop up soon!  
  
rurouni madness: I'm not sick of you! In fact, I look forward to your reviews! (They're so inspiring!)  
  
KnKWorshipper: Thank you! Heh, I know all about homework procrastination...  
  
MizzLee: Thank you! I hope it is!  
  
Animegurl23: Hahaha! Arigatou!  
  
Whisper of Darkness: That's what I'm trying to aim for! And thanks!  
  
Brittanie Love: I hope you like this and the next chapters too...!  
  
PrincessSakura4: Yeah...heh heh...I feel that way also!  
  
Palmtree: Yup, I'm trying to represent Kaoru as a strong person—she really has a strong will and determination, ne?  
  
Laura: Thanks—I will!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but this story idea is definitely mine.

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection **

**Chapter 10: Into the Past**

DAY TWO – 10:00 am  
  
The interior of the practicing hall was rather dimly lit, save for the weak shaft of white light filtering in from the open double doors.  
  
This detail Kenshin vaguely noted.  
  
The red-haired rurouni stiffly and resolutely stood at one end of the dojo. The feeble beam of morning light slowly faded to darkness as it neared the far wall, streaking across the width of the wooden dojo hall. Glimmers of dust lazily swam in the shaft of light.  
  
At the other end, a tall, slender man dressed in a dark-blue police uniform stood straighter and flicked a stray lock of dark hair away from his narrow golden eyes.  
  
Standing next to the open double doors were Sanosuke and Yahiko, their chocolate brown eyes solemn, eyes trained on the tensed scene.  
  
All was deadly silent. Kenshin could feel his eyes narrowing, as he steadily gazed across the length of the dojo at Saitou.  
  
Smirking, Saitou licked his thin lips, and slowly started to draw his sword out of the sheath hanging at his side. The high, metallic shriek of the sword drawing out of Saitou's sheath came to Kenshin's ears from across the dojo.  
  
Kenshin bit down on his lip and bent down in the Battoujutsu stance, leaning forward with his right knee and grasping the hilt of his sakabatou in his clammy right hand. Now he was starting to have second thoughts; why had he agreed to this, he did not know...  
  
Then, from seemingly out of nowhere, _I want to finish this delayed fight with Saitou Hajime!!  
_  
Kenshin's eyes flashed.  
  
Hand clenching tighter on the hilt of his sakabatou, knuckles shining pearl- white, Kenshin tensely, almost unconsciously, formed one short word on his lips: "_Come_."  
  
The dry, almost noiseless sound reverberated through the silent dojo hall. They, Sano, and Yahiko were the only to hear it, save the still, solemn nameplates nailed onto the dojo wall that were bearing witness to the whole scene.  
  
From far away, a soft pattering of sudden rain came from outside the dojo hall. Like the tears of sorrow, of regret, of urgency...pattering softly and yet sharp as a thousand arrows through his swelling heart...  
  
A dry sound erupted from Saitou's side of the dojo.

Kenshin snapped to attention, seizing the penetrating rain arrows and tossing them away like snap-and-break chopsticks from his heart. His hand tightened even more on the hilt of the sword, as a blue blur streaked towards him. The glint of a sword soared in front of the blur, heading directly toward Kenshin's chest.  
  
Kenshin's violet eyes smoldered, and he swiftly drew his own sword, the sound of the metal shriek grating at his ears. He was just in time to block, and throw off, Saitou's sudden attack.  
  
Without missing a single beat, Saitou grasped the hilt of his katana and thrust it hard toward Kenshin again. Pivoting, the dry scratch echoing faintly through the dojo hall, Kenshin drew up his sakabatou again, colliding with Saitou's impending attack. White sparks flew with the sudden, forceful impact of two expertly maneuvered swords. The crash of the swords shuddered down Kenshin's spine, chattered his teeth, and rattled his head.  
  
Something unexpected popped into Kenshin's mind. This same fight...this same technique...this same jolting crash of the blades...why, he had already experienced all of this just ten years ago, in the Bakumatsu....  
  
The corners of Saitou's thin lips drew up into one of his trademark sneers. He swiftly withdrew his blade and leaped back, positioning his sword and his body into a familiar, curved stance. He effortlessly bent his knees, drew back his right elbow, and stretched out his left arm to extend parallel to his ready blade. His gloved left hand bent slightly over the gleaming tip of the blade.  
  
Kenshin leaped back also, skidding backward. Drawing in a quick, short breath, he drew up his sakabatou in front of him at an angle, throwing out his left arm for momentary balance.  
  
No doubt about that, Saitou was good. How could he have forgotten exactly how good he was?  
  
Saitou's eyes flashed a bright, liquid-gold color. Without warning, he was off again.  
  
Kenshin's deft eyes followed Saitou's movements, measuring where he was going to strike with his attack. He bunched up the muscles in his legs, ready to counter.  
  
The blue blur flew straight at Kenshin. Prepared, Kenshin skillfully thrust up his sakabatou and struck hard, propelling his sword arm forward.  
  
Yet again, the two blades sharply collided with a high shriek of pure agony. The sound echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls, dimly returning.  
  
Saitou slowly bent his face closer to Kenshin's, and visibly smirked. Pulling back his gloved left fist suddenly, he forcibly propelled it forward again, into Kenshin's stomach.  
  
Their two shiny blades stayed struggling against each other's, sharp tips glinting in the faint light. Kenshin's blade wavered slightly against Saitou's, as he doubled over and pressed his left forearm against his stomach, desperately trying to regain his breath before Saitou's next attack.  
  
Heaving in a single, long breath, Kenshin neatly shoved Saitou's blade away from his and stepped back, eyes narrowed.  
  
Forcefully driven back, Saitou planted a shiny black heel down on the ground, skidding across the wooden dojo floor. Throwing back his sword arm, clenching his katana tighter, he drew back into his stance from before.  
  
Kenshin hastily drew in another breath and positioned himself into the Battoujutsu stance again, sheathing his sword. With his clever, trained eyes, he focused them on the tense, still man arched into a stance across the length of the dojo hall.  
  
Then his heart skipped a single beat. He hadn't noticed it before, but this stance...  
  
Kenshin's mind swirled in a haze of memory. He quickly drew in another breath again and cautiously bent forward even more, getting into a more forceful stance of Battoujutsu. His clear violet eyes kept their gaze on the still figure at the other end of the dojo.  
  
Then the still, blue-clad figure tersely, spoke, barely moving his thin lips. The tip of his left index finger almost touched the sharp point of his katana.  
  
"_Gatotsu_."  
  
Then Saitou was off again, streaking at Kenshin like a bullet, sharp tip of his blade aimed directly at Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin's eyes narrowed slightly. Saitou kept using this attack—did he not consider that Kenshin might have been able to read his moves?  
  
Quickly, Kenshin grasped the hilt of his sakabatou and drew it out, crashing with Saitou's katana yet again. The sheer force almost bowled Kenshin over, but he kept at it, gritting his teeth, grinding his sandals into the wooden ground, digging the dull side of his sword into Saitou's sharp side of the blade.  
  
Saitou deftly ripped his blade away from the collision and drew back his elbow again to draw his katana perpendicular to his body. Hastily shoving himself away from Kenshin, he used the force to quickly push himself off the ground and leap high into the air, pointing his sword straight at Kenshin again.  
  
Kenshin bit his bottom lip and prepared to defend himself against Saitou's strong blow again. He knew Saitou had the upper hand in this fight, and that he himself was on defense...but he couldn't bring himself to wound Saitou seriously. He could easily have done that ten years ago, when they were bitter enemies, but not now, when he was just the gentle rurouni living at the Kamiya dojo.  
  
_That's right...Kaoru-dono. Why in the world am I fighting Saitou when I could be setting out for Kyoto now? I need to get out of here! Kaoru-dono could be in danger right at this very moment...or quite badly hurt...  
_  
Kenshin quickly snapped up his bushy red head, to tell Saitou that he couldn't do this anymore...couldn't fight him again...that they weren't bitter enemies now..._that they should stop_.  
  
To his immense horror, he glimpsed Saitou coming right at him again, while he had been thinking about Kaoru-dono and the fight. Kenshin quickly snapped up his sakabatou to at least try to deflect some of the blow, but Saitou thrust his katana under Kenshin's blade and deftly pierced his left side with the sword.  
  
Saitou smirked again. With his right hand, he neatly twisted the blade and tugged it back out again. Lightly touching back down on the ground, he stood up and flicked his blade around, ridding the shiny metal of Kenshin's crimson blood.  
  
Kenshin hastily drew in a surprised, startled breath. Slowly, he painfully doubled over, his lips slightly parting in pain. Hastily transferring his sword to his left hand, he painfully clenched at his left side with his right hand. A warm, wet liquid seeped from between his fingers and stained his magenta gi. Sinking down from his standing position, Kenshin knelt on the wooden dojo ground, sword flat on the ground.  
  
Saitou casually took a few paces away from the pained red-haired rurouni, smirk curling up his lips, and slowly brought up his bloodied katana again.  
  
Kenshin's fiery red bangs swayed in front of his eyes, shielding them from the world. He drew in quick, ragged breaths, still clutching his side as liquid agony flowed from his wound. With his left hand, he clenched the hilt of his sakabatou so tightly that his knuckles shone pearl white.  
  
From the sidelines near the open double doors, Sano and Yahiko waited anxiously, breath bated, brown eyes wide in surprise and concern for their red-haired friend. But they knew better than to step in.  
  
Saitou's golden eyes flashed, and he started forward menacingly, taking little steps at first, and then running full out to the kneeling red-haired man. He gripped his katana in his hand and deftly twisted it so it was perpendicular to his body, and then charged, hitokiri eyes completely focused on Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin didn't make a single move. His white-knuckled right hand still gripped his side, while crimson blood flowed between his fingers. His long red bangs still shaded his eyes so that they couldn't be seen.  
  
Saitou was almost upon Kenshin. His bloodied katana flashed in the dim light as he thrust it toward him. Then his heart leapt suddenly, into his throat, so suddenly that Saitou almost skidded to a complete stop.  
  
The long, fiery bangs fell back from Kenshin's eyes. Underneath gleamed a pair of liquid amber eyes. They narrowed in distaste as Kenshin glared with revulsion at Saitou.  
  
Saitou felt his already narrowed eyes narrow even further, so that they formed two black slits. So, Battousai had finally returned from this weak rurouni. Well, it didn't matter—Saitou was still going to win their unfinished fight from ten years before; now he was fighting his real opponent, not the rurouni.  
  
With a surge of power and hate, Saitou gripped his katana and bore it down onto the still kneeling Kenshin—or rather, _Battousai_.  
  
Kenshin—Battousai-- didn't even flinch, didn't even move up from his vulnerable position. He tightened his grip on his own sakabatou, and quickly drove it upwards, neatly sending his blade crashing into Saitou's. Kenshin's great force overpowered Saitou's, and Saitou was sent hurling back into the air.  
  
Kenshin finally looked up, twin golden sparks blazing from his pale face. He slowly withdrew his blood-streaked hand from his left side, and transferred his sword back to his right hand. The hilt grew stained with crimson blood.  
  
Plunging the tip of his katana into the hardwood floor, Saitou used that to lessen the force of his fall. He gently landed on the ground, gloved right hand gripping the hilt of his katana, left knee touching the ground, right knee raised. A scowl slashed his usually smirking mouth into a straight line, and he shoved himself up into a standing position.  
  
Then the smirk came back on full-force. _This was what he wanted.  
_  
Saitou glared defiantly back at the standing Kenshin, who was staring across at him with narrow, golden eyes and a downward-curved mouth. Then Saitou positioned his blade and dove at the red-haired man standing before him.  
  
Kenshin easily lifted his sword and waited.  
  
With a loud yell that filled the dojo hall, Saitou swiftly leaped up and slashed downwards at the golden-eyed Kenshin. His blade flew down in a curving arc, desperate to taste more of Kenshin's crimson blood.  
  
Kenshin disappeared from where he first stood. A cloud of dust swirled up from where he was standing. Saitou felt his blade slice forcefully through the air, and managed to catch himself just in time to stop his blade sinking into the hardwood ground. If he got his sword stuck, he would be completely vulnerable.  
  
Kenshin deftly swung around the blue-clad man at an incredible speed, and, gripping his sakabatou in both hands, leaped up to slash at the man's back.  
  
Saitou almost stumbled as he turned to look for his red-haired opponent, stray locks of dark hair falling into his amber eyes. Then he felt cold metal slicing through his left shoulder, ripping the arm of his blue police uniform. Liquid warmth quickly spilled over to replace the cold metal.  
  
Kenshin neatly drew back his blade from Saitou's shoulder gash and flicked it sharply around, sending droplets of red blood flying everywhere. He quickly leaped back to counter Saitou's next, sudden attack.  
  
------------------------  
  
"Sanosuke," Yahiko began quietly, "can't we just stop them? Like, at least try? Can't we do that for Kenshin? I mean, he's already fighting Saitou, like he wanted to before, but he's going to get hurt like this! Let's try to stop them!"  
  
Sanosuke only stared ahead at the bloody swordplay, lips pressed together. After a moment, he spoke. "Remember what you said before, Yahiko? That they were knee-deep in the past? I have a feeling that they really are, and that they won't respond to anyone unless it's someone that survived the Bakumatsu—someone they know from the past."  
  
------------------------  
  
For the next fifteen minutes there was only the sounds of swords clashing against each other, Kenshin's sandals dryly scratching the hardwood floor, Saitou's more elegant shoes clicking on the hardwood, and soft thuds as they leaped off the ground. Then Kenshin finally inflicted a heavier strike on Saitou than a flesh wound: as their swords collided and struggled against each other's again, Saitou's bloodstained sword snapped from all of the force Saitou bore down on the blade.  
  
The high, metallic sound reverberated through the dojo.  
  
Kenshin drew in quick pants, his face flecked with drops of crimson blood.  
  
Saitou, in shocked dismay, looked quickly down at his snapped sword. The smooth, sharp edges of the clean break glinted in the dim light. As if in slow motion, Kenshin distastefully watched the other half of the blade clatter to the hardwood ground, golden eyes narrowed.  
  
Saitou dismally sighed. "Ya're, ya're..." he murmured, examining the clean break. Then he swiftly glanced upward at Kenshin, amber eyes narrowing. With a clean, deft motion, he flung the sharp broken blade at his opponent and dove at Kenshin, nimble fingers fumbling at his belt.  
  
Kenshin was taken by surprise. His own hitokiri eyes narrowing, he stepped back and nimbly blocked the flying blade with his own sakabatou, Saitou's broken blade glancing off his sword. The broken blade clattered noisily across the hardwood ground.  
  
Then he felt a sharp pain at his right wrist. Kenshin angrily gritted his teeth and swiveled his head around, clutching his sword tighter.  
  
Saitou, standing just behind Kenshin, expertly struck again with the metal end of his belt, and it thwacked against Kenshin's wrist forcefully and painfully. Kenshin couldn't keep his hold on the sakabatou's hilt, and it too clattered across the hardwood floor.  
  
Without his sakabatou, Kenshin had no means of defense, except for his not- so-notable hand-to-hand combat skills.  
  
A sneer lifted up Saitou's lips once again, and with a twist of his wrist, he flung away his belt also, and it vehemently struck the dojo wall. Deftly shrugging out of his blue police jacket, he swiftly bunched it together between his palms to acquire a rope-like form. Under his blue police jacket, he had been wearing a tight black shirt that showed off his muscles.  
  
All of this took just a few seconds. Kenshin struggled to stand up.  
  
The sneer growing wider on Saitou's face, he rapidly threw his rolled police jacket over Kenshin's bushy red head and twisted it around his pale neck. Seizing the ends, Saitou cruelly twisted it even tighter around Kenshin's neck and pulled upwards.  
  
Kenshin, golden eyes opening wide, felt the increasing pressure at his neck. As Saitou's strong force lifted him into the air, Kenshin felt his sandaled feet actually leave the ground. A tiny sound escaping his throat, Kenshin groped with his fingers at the jacket wound around his throat.

Saitou's lips curled up, and he pulled at the ends of the wound-up jacket tighter. As Kenshin rose higher into the air, he squeezed his eyes tightly together and visibly struggled to draw in breath. He tried to yell, but all that came out were a few choked sounds.  
  
Sano, gingerly bent forward, long-fingered hands on the knees of his white pants, and glared at Saitou in rage and hate.  
  
Yahiko, right hand up to his mouth, could only watch with wide brown eyes as he tensely watched the ensuing scene before him.  
  
Then the two heard the sound of hooves clattering to a stop somewhere beyond the open double doors. Someone wearing nice shoes stepped quickly to the ground, a carriage door was hastily slammed, and that same someone walked briskly up to the dojo hall, shoes clicking on the ground.  
  
Bewildered, Sanosuke pushed himself back up from his crouched position and resolutely stood up, moving out to the open double doors in order to get a glimpse of what was happening outside. Yahiko quickly glanced over at Sano for a second, but then whipped his head back around at a distant yell behind him.  
  
Yahiko's auburn eyes widened in relief.  
  
Kenshin had lowered his right arm, left hand still groping at the jacket wound around his throat, and driven his elbow vigorously into Saitou's stomach.  
  
Saitou's golden eyes widened. Dropping the two ends of his wound-up jacket, Saitou hastily doubled over, clasping his stomach in pain, trying to get back his breath.  
  
Kenshin limply dropped to the ground, and the blue jacket plopped down beside him. He struggled to sit up, bringing his hands up to his bruised throat, quickly drawing in long breaths.  
  
The two fighters struggled to stand up again, both drawing in long breaths, both wounded heavily. Saitou's eyes narrowed, and he positioned himself into a fighting stance, still willing to keep on going. Kenshin knelt down into a fighting stance as well, golden eyes still focused on Saitou.  
  
This was it—the final attack.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: I admit, this chapter is supposed to have more than one scene, but the fight scene dragged on so long that I just wanted to stop it here--! I guess I am progressing slowly, taking tiny strides, onto the next step of the plot ladder.

By the way, I welcome constructive criticism! Just be careful—I take each and every one very seriously. (Shihali, I believe you saw a good example of this...sorry about that!) I'll hopefully update next weekend.  
  
-Twilight Sky


	11. Complications and Suffering

Author's Note: Not sure about the parent status.... Oh hey, on to another subject! On Friday night at the 8th grade dance, I finally told my crush that I liked him! Shocking? I was just so scared, walking straight up to him, and then when it was too late to turn back, I told him. And my friend said he was blushing cherry-red later on.... shocking.  
  
Thanks for all the wonderful comments about the fight scene! I wasn't sure about trying my hand at action scenes. Also I would like to thank Shihali and PrincessSakura4 for the support.  
  
Review Responses (short!)  
  
GoldAngel2: Long time no see! I'm glad to hear positively from you yet again!  
  
Brittanie Love, Whisper of Darkness, Dragon Master271: You all liked the first piece of action in a long time since the first chapter, and I'm so glad I'm not rusting away! Thank you!  
  
Shihali: It's all right; I fixed up the errors—thank you for pointing that out to me!  
  
PrincessSakura4: My parents simmered down a bit after their 'talk', so maybe talking can help solve problems. Thanks for the support!  
  
rurouni madness: Don't worry, I didn't take your criticism too seriously—I just altered some words. Thanks-  
  
Arteme: Ah, now is the time when we get redundant in our reviews and review responses...again, thanks for such a wonderful review!  
  
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine, but this story idea belongs to me.

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 11: Complications and Suffering**

****

****

DAY TWO—11:30am  
  
The tall, spiky brown-haired man leaned out of the open double doors of the dojo, squinting through the thick sheets of gray rain. The heavy gale screamed through the yard, whipping at Sanosuke's white coat and throwing about the red ribbon that was wound around his head.  
  
The sheets of rain were so thick that Sano could barely squint through them. Frowning a bit, Sano took a step out of the dojo and quickly brought a long-fingered hand up to his eyes. Cold, wet splatters of water splashed onto Sanosuke's head and trailed wet fingers down his cheeks.  
  
Somewhere through the sheets of rain, the silhouette of a black carriage solemnly rested just beyond the open gates of the Kamiya dojo. A dark shadow hurried up to where Sano stood, splashing through vast puddles of rainwater.  
  
Sano stood there resolutely, jamming his left hand into the wide pocket of his white pants, and hastily wiped at the rainwater running into his brown eyes.  
  
The stout figure dashed up to Sano, and gruffly questioned: "Are Himura-san and Saitou-san in there?" The figure wore a dark coat and white gloves, and a trim mustache adorned his upper lip.  
  
Sanosuke, in a slight daze, slowly inclined his head at the shorter man. As the shorter man hurriedly rushed by Sano, a worried glint in his dark eyes, Sano snapped up his head again at the sound of someone splashing through deep puddles of rainwater ahead of him.  
  
Sano slowly wiped at the rainwater streaked on his face, in order to see the second man. This figure stood taller than the first man, and he tensely clutched an umbrella in his left hand as he hurried briskly up to the dojo doors. As the man neared, Sano could see that he was wearing a brown-hued formal suit.  
  
Sano silently stepped back, and the taller man quickly swiveled his head to salute Sano for a second before turning back around to step into the dojo.  
  
As the man turned his head, Sano faintly glimped a dark mustache and beard adorning the man's slim face.  
  
Sano vaguely watched the man hurry into the dojo, distantly wondering what he was here for.  
  
Then his brown eyes widened, despite the stinging rainwater that kept pouring into his eyes. He slowly caught his breath, and hurried into the dojo after the tall man.  
  
----------------  
  
Kenshin's amber eyes shone like two sparks from his pale face. A dark tinge of blue bruise began to appear on his pale throat. Crimson blood dripped steadily from the deep gash on his left side. Multiple scratches shone white in the dim light, varying in degrees of thin to drawing a trickle of blood. He determinedly sank into a fighting stance, hands slightly raised, golden eyes coolly assessing his opponent, watching for his move.  
  
Saitou stood a few yards away, hands up in a fighting stance Kenshin didn't recognize, muscles bunched, weight leaning on his left leg. Thin lines of red blood crisscrossed his palms and fingers. Bloodstains slowly spread over his left shoulder, and a rip in his tight black shirt showed at the heart of the bloodstains. Thin, white scratches also covered his body.  
  
Both fighters were wounded, possibly more than they could comprehend at this time. Both fighters were determined to win this fight that had spanned a long ten years. Both fighters had also lost their swords.  
  
However, the final attack of this battle leaned heavily in Saitou's favor. Although Kenshin was successful at hand-to-hand combat, he was no match for someone who had trained hard at it, perfected the moves, judged his balance, and so much more.  
  
Kenshin had always relied on his trusty sakabatou. When he hadn't been able to use it, he successfully used his body instead. However, all of these times had been on weaker opponents. Saitou didn't fall in that category.  
  
Saitou was one of the few people who could challenge Kenshin and still be a tough opponent for him.  
  
As both opponents determinedly drew in to their stances, preparing for their next attacks, golden eyes on golden eyes, there suddenly came a frantic, loud yell behind them.  
  
"STOP THIS! _STOP THIS AT ONCE_!"  
  
The hoarse yell rang into Kenshin's subconsciousness, dimly echoing in the recesses of his mind. The tense words burned, dim at first, then shaking off the gray clouds surrounding it. He sharply twisted his head around, fiery hair wildly swinging against his shoulder.  
  
Saitou visibly stiffened, and he swiveled his dark head around to glare in the direction of the double front doors. A few locks of dark hair fell onto his forehead.  
  
Kenshin, still bent into his stance, blinked twice to clear away the gray fog encompassing his mind to see the figure silhouetted in the light from beyond the double front doors. Then his golden eyes widened slightly.  
  
Kenshin recognized the shorter man. A blurry, peach-colored blob formed in his mind, and just as slowly, it got less and less blurry until the image was of a familiar face.  
  
"K—"  
  
A deep frown slashed angrily across Saitou's tense face, and he slowly drew himself up from his fighting stance.  
  
Kenshin straightened up as well, drawing in deep breaths, clutching at his left side.  
  
"Kawaji-dono!"  
  
-------------------  
  
A startled grin spread over Yahiko's face. Finally, Saitou and Kenshin had snapped out of whatever they had gone through. Finally, the fight had ended. However, it was once again without a victor.  
  
Yahiko's forehead scrunched up in thought. But if the fight ended without a victor...then wouldn't there have to be another fight between Kenshin and Saitou?  
  
------------------  
  
Saitou and Kenshin both turned startled golden eyes to Kawaji, the shorter man.  
  
Kenshin bent over slightly, dark eyes widening, right hand grasping his wounded left side, crimson blood starkly dark in the dim light.  
  
Saitou gave one of his trademark sneers and, amber eyes narrowed, reached a gloved hand into his pocket and deftly drew out a cigarette. With a flick of his fingers, the slim cigarette was quickly lit and placed between Saitou's lips.  
  
Kenshin focused on the short form of Kawaji, lips slightly parting in confusion. Why—why was he here? What did he have to do with this fight?  
  
A thin smile broke out over Kawaji's lips, and his whole body seemed to relax. "Thank god—"he gratefully began, and then paused as a taller man strode into the dojo behind him.  
  
Kawaji stepped to the side.  
  
The taller man stepped away from the shadows, revealing his face. "Himura- kun, Saitou-san..."  
  
Kenshin quickly drew in a short breath, raising his golden eyes to the man's face. He knew this man, as well...  
  
"O-Okubu-dono??"  
  
Okubu Toshimichi, ex- Ishin Shishi and now the government's Secretary General of the Cabinet, slowly trained his brown eyes on Kenshin's bloody gashes and scratches, eyes visibly widening at the black bruises around Kenshin's pale neck, at the deep bloodstains smeared over his magenta- purple gi. Then he looked up. "I deeply apologize, Himura-kun." In his voice lingered a queer tone.  
  
Clasping together his hands, Okubu held Saitou and Kenshin in his gaze. "You see, this was all a test—and I apologize that you two had to get hurt in order to analyze the results."  
  
At the sidelines, Yahiko dumbfoundedly nudged Sanosuke hard in the ribs, who had just come in from the pouring rain. "What the...a _test_?"  
  
Kenshin sharply swiveled his head to stare Saitou in the eye. Saitou just stood there nonchalantly, tanned sinewy arms folded across his chest, a stream of cigarette smoke trailing up from the cigarette dangling from his lips.  
  
Okubo steadily gazed across at Kenshin, brown suit accentuating his formal language. "I needed to see if you were prepared to fight against one of the major hitokiris here in Japan. As Saitou-san seemed to be able to give you a good fight, I accepted his persistent offer to accomplish this task."  
  
Kenshin's dark eyes never left Okubo's face, but they somewhat widened at Okubo's last comment. _Persistent offer_? And then his mind slowly rewound Okubo's blunt words. _Fight? One of the major hitokiris_?  
  
Silence reverberated through the dojo at Okubo's words.  
  
Suddenly, Saitou neatly drew out the slim white stick of his cigarette and almost forcefully hurled it down at the hardwood ground. Stepping forward and grinding the cigarette into crushed nothingness with the hard heel of his black shoe, Saitou grabbed his blue jacket and hastily shook it out.  
  
His narrow golden eyes settled on Okubo, about five yards away from him. "My report—Himura Kenshin isn't a reliable killer at all."  
  
Then the corner of his lip drew up into a smirk. "However...Himura Battousai has the potential to be very effective. That's all."  
  
Kenshin's golden eyes wavered, slipping from Okubo to Saitou.  
  
Okubo, startled, looked Saitou in the eye for a moment. Then he let out a small sigh and turned to Kenshin, extending his hand.  
  
"Himura-kun, there's something I would like to discuss with you in private...Perhaps we could—ah—talk in another room?" Okubo glanced over at Sanosuke and Yahiko quickly.  
  
Sanosuke briskly strode over to Okubo, the long red ribbon that was wound around his head flapping in his motions. "It's all right—I'll take you to a room with Kenshin and then I'll leave."  
  
Okubo raised his eyebrows slightly at Sano's surprisingly kind manner. Then he gave a slight nod of his head, chestnut-brown mustache and beard dark against his face. "Arigatou."  
  
Sanosuke hastily glanced over at Saitou, who was slipping back on his dark blue police jacket. Then he turned his gaze back to Okubo and gave a curt nod, starting for the open double doors of the dojo. Okubo, with a click of his shiny heel, turned around and started to follow.  
  
"Wait a moment." Kenshin's harsh voice rang through the dojo.  
  
Startled, Sano stopped in his tracks. He whipped his head around to glance at Kenshin, spiky brown hair wavering and long red Sekihoutai ribbon undulating. Okubo also turned, steady brown eyes fixed on Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin's head was lowered, bushy red hair covering his dark eyes. His mouth was twisted in frustration and concentration. The bloodstains on his gi shone dark black in the dojo's dim light.  
  
Suddenly, Kenshin sharply brought up his white-knuckled fist and vehemently sank it into his forehead.  
  
Sanosuke started, taking a step forward toward his friend and bringing up his right hand in a violent jerk. "Kenshin--!"  
  
Okubo and Yahiko stood by, eyes slightly widened.  
  
Saitou stood there nonchalantly at his end of the dojo, a few strands of stray brown hair hanging in his cold golden eyes. A sneer garnished his face, and he started reaching in his pocket again for his cigarettes.  
  
Kenshin's eyes were squeezed determinedly shut, and crimson trickles of blood ran slowly down his cheeks from his forehead.  
  
After a few tense moments, he glanced back up again, slowly bringing his blood-trickled fist back down to his side. As his fiery red hair moved away from his eyes and swept his shoulders, Sanosuke could see the clear amethyst violet in his gentle eyes. The rurouni was back.  
  
Kenshin determinedly forced his lips up into a small smile. "I apologize, Sanosuke, Okubo-dono. I'm all right now."  
  
With that, he turned on his heel, slight dry scratch echoing in the silent dojo, and slowly followed Sano and Okubo out the dojo door into the pouring rain.  
  
------------------  
  
She stumbled confusingly through the heavy, condemning gray mist, gingerly picking her way around swirling vats of dark gray. Gray, gray, gray. Gray all around her. Gray as far as the eye could see. It was a horrible, gray place.  
  
Gray. Such a dull, flat, one-syllable word. Dully spoken by a language of horrid things. Gray. Gray.  
  
If she kept repeating that flat word, it would disappear into nothing, cease to lose its meaning, and become a meaningless syllable that one would utter in complete flatness. Gray. Gray. Gray. It started out lovely at the beginning, consonants and vowels merging, then tumbling down to a deep, flat nothingness.  
  
She suddenly smacked herself in the head. Gray deprived the thinker of gray to become gray herself. A dull, flat self.  
  
It couldn't seem to be bright enough in this gray world she was in. She kept squinting, brushing away the sticky gray tendrils of spider-web fog away from her face.  
  
Suddenly, through the gray fog, a darker gray figure appeared.  
  
She once again squinted her sapphire blue eyes—the only thing that wasn't gray yet in this surrounding gray world—to get a closer look at the figure. It had the shape of a man, upright and tall—but not very tall...  
  
Around her height...  
  
She angrily bit her lip in frustration, and took quicker, longer steps through the gray mist at her feet. Cold fingers snaked up from the ground, struggling to pull her under the condemning mist. A long strand of midnight hair fell into her eyes, and she hastily shook it away.  
  
But she wouldn't dare look down. She kept her sapphire blue eyes on the figure, moving quickly through the fog. The figure stood still as if waiting for someone, back turned to her, ponytailed long hair brushing against his back, and slightly baggy clothes rustling against his warm skin.

As she stepped cautiously in the direction of the mysterious figure, his shadowed face turned slightly towards her, and the condemning shadows fell away from his beautiful face.

She raggedly caught her breath, bringing up a slender right hand to her mouth and cerulean blue eyes widening.

She knew who it was. She would know him anywhere. _Kenshin_.  
  
A smile broke out on her pale face, and she threw herself forward, dark sheet of silken hair flying out behind her, shining crystalline tears welling in her eyes. The figure, startled, turned his bushy red head to look at her, and through the awful grayness, she could see a wide smile emerging on his beautiful face. He started to take a step toward her too, amethyst eyes—not gray, never gray—softening at the sight of her.

Kenshin held out his arms to her, the loose folds of his magenta gi flapping against his warm skin, and Kaoru's lips parted in longing. She hurried faster toward him, completely ignoring the gray mist.   
  
Her heart swelled with undying love. Gray could never touch her heart--nor their love for each other.  
  
Suddenly, behind Kenshin, a dim shadow appeared. In the stark background of the new figure's dark face, crazed eyes flashed with menace. A silvery glint twinkled tauntingly from an object in the figure's hand.  
  
Kaoru haltingly stopped in her tracks, long-fingered hands flying up to her mouth. The gray fog kicked up again, enclosing the three of them: Kenshin, her, and the newcomer.  
  
A taunting sneer on her pale, beautiful face, a second Kaoru stepped up behind the unknowing Kenshin. In her slim, white hand, she gripped the sturdy hilt of a large, sharp knife.  
  
Kaoru's sapphire eyes widened in fear. "Kenshin! _Kenshin_!"  
  
The shadow Kaoru glanced quickly at her, lip curling in contempt. Then her blue-eyed gaze traveled back to Kenshin, widening with excitement. Her lips parting in desire, fiery sparks dancing in her eyes, she held up the shiny knife and pointed it straight at Kenshin's back. Her silken black hair swirled around her shoulders, touched with red malice.

The shadow Kaoru lowered her dark lashes seductively, gazing up at the real Kaoru through her full lashes. Her slightly parted red lips brought up her cheekbones, giving the lovely face a taunting cruelty that the real Kaoru never felt on her own face.

Twin rivulets of shining tears trickling down Kaoru's snow-white cheeks, she brought her right hand forward palm up, pleading, toward the shadow Kaoru. "Please...no...I beg of you...!"

Kaoru painfully squeezed her eyes shut, wet lashes dark against her pale skin, and cried out agonizingly again, "_I BEG OF YOU!!!!"_  
  
The clear sapphire of the shadow Kaoru's eyes flickered, the golden sparks in them blazing and engulfing the blue—until her eyes gleamed a molten amber. A harsh, cruel burst of laugh escaping her slim throat, she deftly and mercilessly plunged down the knife.  
  
Straight at Kenshin's back.  
  
In the split moment before flesh and blade could fatally meet, Kenshin glanced up at the real Kaoru, red hair spilling over into his widened violet eyes.  
  
In his beautiful amethyst eyes shone a sharp betrayal, deep as never before. It was too much to bear.  
  
Kaoru dropped anguishly to her knees in the suffocating gray mist, bringing her hands up to her face, dark sheet of hair falling forward. "No..._no_..._NO_!!!"  
  
Crimson drops of blood sprayed everywhere, splashing Kaoru's hands, dotting her pale, beautiful face.  
  
The shadow Kaoru smirked, slowly twisting and drawing the blade out of Kenshin's back in order to prolong the pain, and gave the kneeling Kaoru a hearty wink. Lifting the bloodsoaked blade up to face level, she quickly examined the thick crimson liquid. A corner of her lip turning upwards, she gave the blood-splattered blade a gentle lick, tongue darting out to catch more drops of Kenshin's blood.

Through her pale fingers, Kaoru numbly watched the shadow Kaoru pivot on her heel and step into the surrounding shadows, disappearing from sight.  
  
Kenshin slowly slumped forward, amethyst eyes wide and pained with betrayal, the color of his purple gi oddly distorted in the gray light, his life's red liquid pouring out of him.  
  
Crystalline tears splashed down Kaoru's face, and she brought up her shaking, blood-soaked hands to eye level, staring at the deep red blood.  
  
"But it wasn't...me...I didn't do it..."  
  
Kenshin painfully lay among the gray mist, violet eyes dulling as he gazed painfully at her. "K-Kaoru-dono..._why_...." He suddenly cried out in barely concealed pain, teeth clenching together. "_Why...?"_  
  
The shining violet in his pained eyes gradually died, leaving behind a dull gray. Gray. Gray. _Gray_.  
  
The suffocating gray rose up, blinding Kaoru, filling her vision with gray.  
  
As she slowly fell into the gray void darkening to a deep black, she painfully choked out, "But it wasn't _me.... it wasn't me_..._"_  
  
-----------------  
  
Kenshin lay his bushy red head onto his right hand.  
  
Across from him sat Okubo Toshimichi. His clear brown eyes studied Kenshin for his response.  
  
Finally, Kenshin met Okubo in his gaze. "Okubo-dono...I've already encountered Shishio Makoto, that I have."  
  
Okubo sat back, a little startled. "Shishio Makoto—you have? When?"  
  
Kenshin drew down his pained violet eyes, and he folded his long-fingered hands into his lap. "I—my—Shishio—Shishio kidnapped the young owner of this particular dojo, in fact. She's—someone I really care about..."  
  
Okubo's brown eyes widened. "Shishio has already made his move? Then you know about his awesome power...?"  
  
Kenshin glanced up at Okubo.  
  
Okubo continued. "Ten years ago, when you decided to stop killing and become a wanderer, we needed a replacement for you. Thus, we chose Shishio Makoto. He was a great man of his time, utterly powerful and strong. However—ah—he started committing serious crimes, killing innocent people he was not to kill..."  
  
Kenshin abruptly interrupted. "In other words, he wasn't too stable."  
  
Okubo closed his mouth, startled, and then his mouth drew into a rue line. "In a sense. Then we, the Ishin Shishi, decided that we had to dispose of Shishio's murderous ways...by his untimely death. We converged in a tight circle around Shishio. He had his bloody sword with him, but we had guns that were rapidly replacing ordinary swords. We repeatedly shot at him, and he fell. However, we never doubted his great power and will to live. To make sure he fell dead, we set him on fire and burned him."  
  
Kenshin's clear amethyst eyes slightly narrowed, and he gripped the edge of his gi in one hand.  
  
"However, for some reason, he couldn't die. He came back and now wants to bring down the Meiji government, for what they did to him.  
  
"You see, he wants to rule Japan and anything else he can get his hands on. He's that power-hungry. He gathered ten sufficient fighters around the country to aid him in his plan, called the Juppongatana. And now we need you, Himura Kenshin, as one of Japan's most experienced fighters, to fight against Shishio Makoto and kill him. He's an immense danger to Japan."  
  
Okubo's serious words swirled through Kenshin's mind. Kill...Shishio...? How about his vow never to kill...?  
  
Okubo seemed to read Kenshin's deep thoughts. "I know you vowed never to kill again. But this time, we are in great need of you—more than ever before. This Shishio—he won't stop at anything to get the supreme position he desires. And you, Himura-kun, are the only one who has even the slightest chance at going against him. You, and Saitou-san. Saitou-san will be accompanying you."  
  
Kenshin was silent, eyes clouded.  
  
Okubo suddenly leaned over and grasped Kenshin's hands in his warm, firm ones. "We, the government, and Japan, are begging you. If we don't take action, Japan will surely be destroyed. Shishio has already taken down many of our finest men. We need someone like you and Saitou-san to fight against him.  
  
"We need you to go to Kyoto to fight Shishio."  
  
Kenshin snapped up his head.  
  
"Okubo-dono...I will already be heading to Kyoto to get back Kaoru-dono. But I'm not sure I want to kill Shishio with my own hands—even if Saitou kills him instead. I would have aided the killing of Shishio, and that violates my sincere vow. My original plan was just to at least hamper Shishio so he wouldn't commit as much damage, and to get back Kaoru-dono. But what you're telling me..."  
  
Okubo finished his sentence. "Is to kill Shishio."  
  
Kenshin was silent for a tense moment. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"May I have a day or two to decide?"  
  
Okubo gazed steadily into Kenshin's cloudy, pained eyes. At last, he nodded, and started to stand up. "Of course, Himura-kun. I know the pain you're going through. Of course you can have more time to decide."  
  
Okubo brushed down his formal suit, and extended a warm hand to Kenshin. Kenshin grasped it and pulled himself up.  
  
"Possibly tomorrow or the day after I'll come by carriage and we'll discuss the matter again."  
  
Kenshin slowly nodded, mind hazy with his tumbling thoughts. _Kaoru-dono..._  
  
They stepped out of the room to meet up with Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Saitou.  
  
--------------------

1:00 pm

After Okubo had left along with Saitou and Kawaji, Kenshin told his two friends of their talk—about his indecision, about what he was to do.  
  
Sano frowned, smoothing down the back of his spiky brown hair with one hand. "I guess I'll get some bombs from Katsu," he said slowly, and darted his eyes to Kenshin's. "Since I'm coming with you," he said firmly.  
  
Yahiko piped up. "Yeah, me too," he seconded fiercely. "Remember, Kenshin? I'll be a great help to you guys! You won't be sorry, and I'll bring my bokken along!"  
  
Kenshin's violet eyes were still cloudy. But he gave them both a small smile and a slight nod, and started to trudge slowly off.  
  
Sanosuke let out a mocking sigh. "And there goes Kenshin, trying to get away with his horrible wounds." He started off after Kenshin. "Oi, Kenshin, I'll bandage them for ya!"  
  
Yahiko ran off to the dojo to grab his bokken and start practicing—he figured he had plenty of time to practice, as they were all going to leave for Kyoto in a few days. At least after Okubo had come. Enough time for him to practice and try to get stronger for his sensei. On the outside, he might mock her and call her ugly, but on the inside, he still had feelings for her.  
  
Later on in Kenshin's room, as Sano was bandaging up Kenshin's wounds and tsk-ing about how Kenshin had managed to get himself hurt again and whatnot, Kenshin sat with his head bowed, fiery hair shading his clouded eyes. He hated himself for what he was going to do to his friends and Okubo-dono, but he couldn't wait any longer when Kaoru-dono was in great danger.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: All while I was typing this up, I was listening to 'Scarlet' from Ayashi no Ceres. I love that song...so mysterious and romantic...  
  
I welcome constructive criticism! It's especially helpful when you guys tell me about my mistakes—like whether Okubo calls Kenshin Himura-kun or not—and minor things like that. Just keep in mind...I take them quite seriously. And yes, I know there's a plot hole—it should be extremely clear by now. In a few chapters back, Sanosuke and Kenshin seemed to know about Shishio when actually they shouldn't have. But that minor plot hole ends here—it isn't important in the rest of the story.  
  
The next chapter will come next weekend!  
  
-Twilight Sky 


	12. Betrayal and Misgivings

Author's Note: Hmmm...I've just been reading the rules, and it seems I've broken a few of them :). So maybe I'll group the review responses together, and shorten each response to a few well-written words. I hope this is okay. Complying with another rule, I took out the Author's Note originally placed at number 4. However, the result of this is that the reviews get a bit mixed up at which chapter they're referring to, and all of the chapters are booted down one. I hope this doesn't confuse anyone.  
  
Oh yes—my 2-week absence—I'm not sure if I can update next week as well. I'm extremely busy nowadays, and so perhaps the next chapter will be out the following week :).  
  
Review Responses:  
  
(**GoldAngel2**: I hope you're feeling better, and thank you so much!)- (**Dragon Master 271**, **NargieGirl21, Dark Thorn White Rose, **and** Whisper of Darkness**: Thank you!)-(**Shihali**: I was planning to get someone to take food to Kaoru in the last chapter-however I got lazy :) Remember when Sano warned Kenshin that Shishio couldn't be underestimated? Even Sano knows that his pride and two fists won't defeat Shishio in the least. So to at least boost up his power a little, Sano wants to get some 'reinforcements', even if it damages his pride a little (so at least he can help 'Jo-Chan'. And yes, this is where the plot hole comes in.)-(**Star0704**: I think I may have spoiled something for you—did you watch the Kyoto Arc of the Rurouni Kenshin series yet? Going on: your compliments stir up warm, fuzzy feelings!)-(**rurouni madness**: Don't worry, romance is definitely piled into the mix—most of it at the end of the story.)-(**Emerald Genie**: Don't worry about your spelling—it's the thought that counts, and you've expressed such a wonderful one. Your question—8th Grade is 13 years old. About the phrases: I tried not to make them clichés but that was a bit hard. Thanks for the inspirational comment about me writing books! :)-(**PrincessSakura4**: YAY! Kaoru's dream made you emotional! My work here is complete :). Thanks—I hope your parents simmer down as well.)-(**assassinatorgirl:** Actually, I typed the fight scene like I visualized it in my head. Imagine how surprised I was when I got out the episode to confirm my facts, and discovered that my fight scene had almost the same actions as in the real thing. About Yahiko's eyes—oops. I thought auburn meant brown. Stupid me—I didn't want to use 'brown' all the time.)-(**Diane-posing as 'Me'/'Me again'**: my strange sister. Why should I bother responding to you when I can just scream at you from the computer room? :) And by the way, your reviews were just so perverted!!!!!)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but this story idea is mine.

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 12: Betrayal and Misgivings**

DAY TWO—2:30pm  
  
A rough hand slammed into the middle of her back, trying to roll her over. Fingers fumbled at her side, digging short nails into her back. Knuckles rapped painfully at her tender ribs, shoving at her. A gruff voice hissed angrily from somewhere a few feet above her.  
  
The rough hands fell away angrily from her for a moment, and dry, tired pants echoed through the room. Then the ungentle hands came back, and a hard object moved beneath her. The hands seemed to be straining at the object and pulling it out, but to no avail.  
  
"Insolent _wench_..." the owner of the rough hand angrily hissed. The hard, sticklike object beneath Kaoru's left side bucked a couple of centimeters up and down, digging into her side.  
  
She gradually resurfaced from the deep black, lying as still as she possibly could. Why was this abysmally rude person trying to disturb her? What a hentai, groping at her.  
  
Was it Soujirou-kun? Did he come back yet?  
  
Kaoru cautiously opened her eyes to a narrow slit, dark lashes standing out on her pale skin. The soft fabric of the yellow couch she was lying on greeted her, filling her narrowed vision.  
  
As the hard, long object jutting into Kaoru's ribs jerked again, she suddenly realized what it was. Her handmade bokken! She must have collapsed on it when she fainted.  
  
But who was trying to get at it? Who was right now tugging on it, trying to tear it out from underneath her?  
  
Trying not to make her movements starkly visible, Kaoru cautiously transferred more of her weight onto the wooden bokken, biting the inside of her cheek when the end of her bokken once again jabbed into her left ribs. She slowly raised her chin up, trying to see who was trying to take her bokken away from her. If she could just stall as long as she could...and try to think up a plan before the gruff hands could get at it...  
  
The ornately carved 'bokken' started to move out from beneath her.  
  
The ungentle hands were starting to drag it out from under her, depriving her of her desperately needed weapon.  
  
Kaoru almost let out a startled gasp. Instinctively, she threw more body weight onto the wooden stick beneath her with a sharp movement, catching herself with her hands. She landed hard on her back, jolting the couch and her heart.  
  
In her mind, alarm bells rang shrilly, as the hands drew back sharply.  
  
A sharp hiss of frustration sounded through the room. "...Wench!"  
  
It was undoubtedly a male voice—but it wasn't Soujirou. This voice was much deeper, with no trace of happiness hidden beneath the voice.  
  
It was undoubtedly one of Shishio's men.  
  
Kaoru wrenched her eyes completely open, and quickly rolled over onto her wooden bokken, grimacing as her sore muscles protested in pain. Above her, a pale-faced man with a protruding chin stared at her, hooded eyes wide in surprise. Then his face twisted in fury, seeing her awake and guarding her only good weapon—when he had been trying to get at it himself without waking her up!  
  
The man that seemed slightly taller than her sported a truly horrible hairstyle. All of his dark hairs were carefully slicked back from his forehead, revealing a rapidly receding hairline—as if he'd been deliberately yanking out his own hair in frustration. His mass of hair was not slicked to his scalp; at the back, it rose in a tapered fashion away from his head, so that his skull looked distinctly unproportioned. Not a hair was out of place, so this slight clue revealed that he was impeccably neat.  
  
_So neat that he wouldn't stand for the slightest bit of interference_! a voice screamed in Kaoru's head.  
  
Instinctively, she tried to pound more weight onto her bokken, which was uncomfortably squashed beneath her torso. The pale-faced man, whose ensemble seemed to consist of a woolly brown suit and a long dusty-green overcoat, seemed to regain his composure, and lunged for her again, fingers bent menacingly into claws.  
  
This time, Kaoru was sure she was going to have her bokken wrenched forcefully away from her. The cold fury in his eyes and twisted mouth screamed danger at her, and she unconsciously started to move away from his line of attack. Her long sheet of dark hair swung wildly around her shoulders, and her sapphire eyes widened in fear.  
  
Then her rational mind overtook her sudden panic, and her body flew into action. Plunging her right hand beneath her chest, soft cloth of the yellow couch pressing into her hand, she groped for the hard wooden stick of her handmade bokken. A second later, though it seemed like hours as the pale-faced man hurtled angrily toward her, the wood struck against her fingernails. With barely time to gasp for air, she flung herself sideways off the couch, the bokken safely in her hands.  
  
The land onto the green-carpeted floor took the very breath out of her. Heaving in large gasps of air, she opened her panicked blue eyes to see her attacker collide into the side of the couch and, with his heavy acceleration, fall over the restricting couch arm and land facedown. He let out a strangled cry, muffled in the softness of the couch. His legs flailed in the air like out-of-control windmills.  
  
In one motion, Kaoru quickly swept herself up and drew up her wooden bokken. Just as she was about to plunge it down onto his head, an image from her gray-tinged dream erupted into her face.  
  
_Kenshin's accusing, pain-filled violet eyes stared into hers, as he struggled to move his lips and gasp out a few words. "K-Kaoru-dono...why? _Why_?"  
_  
And as the beautiful sparkling color of his violet eyes gradually dulled to a deep gray, Kaoru shoved aside the vision and determinedly focused all of her power into her arms holding up the bokken.  
  
The bokken seemed to be shivering with crackling white electricity from Kaoru's intense concentration on it. She imagined the man's strangely shaped hair to suddenly transform into a long, shining midnight-black sheet of hair...for him to transform to the shadow Kaoru from her dream, who had killed Kenshin...taken the life out of his eyes...  
  
The male in the green overcoat started to force himself back up. His arms struggled to lift up his weight off the couch. Kaoru tensed visibly, clenching the handle of her bokken still tighter, lips slightly parted as she began to draw down the wooden weapon.  
  
With a force Kaoru didn't know she had ever possessed, she hurled down the bokken, the wrapped pink-purple obi contouring to the grip of her hands perfectly, straight at the man's/the shadow Kaoru's head. The downward slashing movement seemed to take hours, but with the tremendous force Kaoru heaved down the wooden sword, it should have taken a mere second, maybe less.  
  
The other end of the wooden sword neared its target at a heartstopping rate, and if Kaoru had wanted to change her mind and pulled out of the slash, there was no way to.  
  
Instinctively, the man in the green coat threw up his left arm, at least to block some of the attack. But defense came too late.  
  
Skull and wood connected forcefully, and a sickening crack resounded through the room. The bokken had collided solidly with the man's head, as Kaoru swung through with her force.  
  
The pale-faced man's eyes widened enormously. Mouth gaping open slightly, his eyeballs rolled back into his head to reveal the whites of his eyes. He slowly slumped back onto the couch, a fleck of foamy drool spilling over his bottom lip.  
  
Kaoru drew up her bokken again and prepared to swing it back down again, but looking down at the unconscious man, she found that she couldn't bear to hit him again—not while he lay there looking so woefully pathetic.  
  
With a sigh, she stepped back and dropped her bokken to the ground, the force of hitting her attacker's head ringing through her arms. Slowly stepping over to the seemingly unconscious man, she knelt down low enough to see a lone trickle of blood seeping out of his hair.  
  
Yes, he was unconscious. It was pretty obvious from all the force she had put in her emotion-wracked swing. Kaoru smiled in relief—she had taken the first step onto the path to getting out of this wretched room.  
  
A lightheaded feeling cut through her head suddenly, and she winced, throwing her left arm up to her forehead. She knew she hadn't eaten or drank in more than a day. But if she could just keep on going...just to tie up her attacker, in case he woke up before she could properly restore her strength...  
  
The room seemed to waver before her eyes, and she swayed a little on her feet, clenching her fingers tightly against her palms.  
  
She slipped down the length of the couch, landing on the green-carpeted floor, left arm sprawled over her forehead. Her blue eyes blinked in rapid succession, fighting to keep awake.  
  
Then, through her hazy stupor, she saw it.  
  
In the center of the room, a little table was set up awkwardly. Its legs were sprawled in opposite directions, indicating that it had not been set up very well. But on its surface sat a tray—a tray of—  
  
Kaoru grinned, and slowly stood up. Stumbling over to the little table, she sat down to the small tray of food that suddenly seemed delicious and tea that suddenly seemed like the cool, clean, refreshing water from the base of waterfalls that one hungrily sips at in thirstiness.  
  
As she took the first bite of warm bread, it didn't even matter that it was starting to turn hard. The delicious nourishments stacked on the tray seemed to have landed from heaven, and she had to force herself to eat slowly.  
  
If this strange man carried food to her, and she had just struck him unconscious, it wasn't likely that she was getting more for the remainder of the time she was going to spend here. Soujirou-kun had told her that she was to stay here for a couple of weeks, as it would take a while to prepare for Shishio's plan to be finally enacted—and for Shishio's and Kenshin's battle to happen...  
  
Suddenly, the lump of bread on her tongue turned to a dusty, stone-like taste. She struggled to swallow the bread and quickly washed that down with a tiny sip of tea, which also started to taste horrible and badly mixed. She still couldn't believe it. Shishio and Kenshin—fighting? And her being kidnapped? It still amazed her that so much had happened in so short a time.  
  
Suddenly, her ravenous appetite disappeared, and she just sat there, staring at the murky depths of her cup of tea, clutching the piece of slightly hardened bread in her right hand so hard that it crumbled in her fist, raining crumbs into her lap.  
  
Finally, she stood up, the tray of food barely touched. However, the lightheadedness had disappeared—that was a plus.  
  
Her mood dampened, Kaoru's gaze fixed on the unconscious man, who was still sprawled ungracefully on the couch. And then she remembered—she had to tie him up. When he roused, she would interrogate him thoroughly, asking him what Shishio would really do with her—so far, Shishio had just been giving her vague hints on her purpose in his seemingly monstrous plan. How would she hurt Kenshin?  
  
A flashback of her dream exploded into her face again—of herself as a shadow murdering Kenshin with her own hands.  
  
She angrily shook her head, midnight-black sheet of hair flying everywhere about her face. No, that wouldn't happen. She would kill herself if it did—if Shishio forced her to murder Kenshin like that.  
  
But no—Shishio had told her that she wouldn't necessarily kill Kenshin with her own two hands. She had forgotten about that.  
  
But it all came down to the unconscious man—he was the only source of information she had currently. She could try to weasel out the plan of how she was to hurt Kenshin, and try to extinguish it herself by avoiding it, whatever it was.  
  
But first things first—she had to tie him up.  
  
Biting her lip, she gazed around the perimeter of the room for something she could use to tie up the brown-haired male. Rope would be preferable, but if not in reach...  
  
Her obi would have been perfect for this. The length of magenta cloth was so long that it could stretch more than halfway across this room. However, it was being used as a very good grip for her bokken...  
  
But she could take the general idea of using her garments as useful materials.  
  
Kaoru strode over to the yellow couch with the man in the long green overcoat sprawled over it. Sitting by his head, Kaoru gingerly bent down and pulled up the bottom hem of her blue kimono towards her.  
  
With her calculating eyes, she measured the appropriate length and width of cloth to use for binding the man's wrists and ankles. It took a while to tear out the appropriate length out of the bottom of her blue kimono, and she had to resort to using her teeth for the task.  
  
After about half an hour or so, two ragged but thick strips of cerulean- blue cloth lay on Kaoru's knees. She smoothed out her dirty-and-torn kimono, knowing what a mess she looked, and picked up the two strips of blue cloth.  
  
Bending slightly over the brown-haired man with a strip of cloth in each hand, she was faced with a problem. He was lifelessly sprawled on his stomach, both arms tucked underneath his head. He seemed to be asleep for all she knew, but one simple glance at his eyeballs rolled perilously into his head proved this theory false.  
  
A tiny sigh escaping from her rosebud lips, she spread the two lengths of cloth onto the couch beside her and stood up. Almost unceremoniously, she knelt down and pulled up one of his arms from beneath his head. As his head lolled to the left, mouth slightly open, she seized the opportunity to lift up his other arm and clasp his wrists together.  
  
Leaning over, she gingerly plucked up a blue strip of raggedly torn cloth in her left hand, and wound it as tight as she could around the man's slightly clammy wrists. She finished off with a spectacularly tight knot that almost tore the cloth in two and secured the binding of his wrists.  
  
His profusely sweating hands, tied together behind his back, fell carelessly from Kaoru's grasp, as she finished tying off the knot and moved on to the task of tying his ankles.  
  
Kaoru leaned over to take the last strip of blue cloth, and moved down to his ankles. As she wound the strip of cloth around and around his ankles, she noticed how impeccably shiny his black shoes were. This man was definitely high-class in Shishio's gang of followers.  
  
However, Kaoru pondered as she twisted the cloth into a sturdy knot, from her few close-up observations of him, he didn't seem all that muscular. In fact, he seemed altogether pathetic and wimpy in the fighting role.  
  
Maybe he scored points in intelligence. Then perhaps he was Shishio's advisor...?  
  
Kaoru glanced again at the man's unconscious face, biting her lip. But if he was Shishio's advisor...if Shishio had chosen him for that high rank of making decisions...he must be a clever planner.  
  
Kaoru just hoped that the knots around his ankles and wrists stayed in place. However, she knew that someone clever enough to be Shishio's advisor—as Shishio seemed to be constructing a major plan right now—could skirt the tied knots, no matter how tightly she tied them.  
  
Fine—she would watch him, waiting for the first signs of his awakening. She would watch him, clutching her wooden sword in her hands, _ready for anything_.  
  
--------------------  
  
5:00 pm  
  
Outside, the relentless downpour had finally ceased. The dojo glistened in the shyly emerging sunlight, wet drops of rain coating the roof and vast, watery puddles of rainwater reflecting the sky. The cold breeze flitted through the air, touched with the fresh scent of rain.  
  
A slight scuffling sound could be heard in the Kamiya dojo grounds. Without caring whether he stepped in a puddle or not, a red-haired rurouni trudged slowly around the perimeter of the Kamiya dojo grounds, bushy bangs shading his amethyst eyes, hands dispiritedly limp at his sides, shoulders slumped.  
  
Kenshin felt old. He didn't know what to do. He didn't even know what he was doing now, sloshing through deep puddles of rainwater with no intentions in mind. He felt...useless.  
  
Sano had gone out to Katsu's an hour ago so to collect some bombs—"Just in case, Kenshin—you never know when they'll come in handy, you know," Sano's steady voice rang through Kenshin's mind. Kenshin also had a vague feeling that while Sano was there getting bombs from his good friend Katsu, he would try to freeload a dinner as Kenshin was clearly not up to cooking something up tonight...  
  
At least Sano was doing something useful—while he, Kenshin, just meandered around outside doing nothing. Nothing at all—while Kaoru-dono went through who knows what.  
  
As Kenshin slowly paced by the dojo hall, he could hear Yahiko's forceful shouts and yells as he swung down his bokken. Even his violent swings could be heard slicing through the air. Judging by the energy of Yahiko's practice, Kenshin figured that Yahiko wasn't a bit fazed by the many drops of blood speckling the hardwood floor of the dojo hall.  
  
A wry smile touched Kenshin's lips for a second. Yahiko also was doing something useful...building himself up to have a good fighting chance...  
  
As Yahiko's powerful yells faded from hearing and Kenshin trudged away from the dojo hall, Kenshin thought about what had happened before Saitou had interrupted.  
  
He, Kenshin, had told Yahiko and Sanosuke that they could accompany him on the way to Kyoto. But at Kyoto, they would encounter Shishio...whom even Kenshin wasn't sure he had a chance at beating...  
  
And Kenshin didn't want Yahiko or Sano to get hurt. Which they most definitely would—it would be outrageously dangerous.  
  
Kenshin threw up his head to gaze up at the sky, which was patched in blue and splattered in thick white clouds. The slightest hint of a beautiful rainbow soared across the left half of the sky, cutting through a particularly thick cloud and disappearing beyond the horizon.  
  
Without notice, a single, shining tear slipped from Kenshin's violet eyes and trailed its salty way down his cheek, splashing onto the already wet ground he was standing on.  
  
Kenshin sank slowly to the rain-soaked ground, not caring whether his clothes got wet or not. He raised his face up to the sky again, eyes troubled. So many people had got hurt because of him—_Kaoru-dono, To-  
_  
No, he wouldn't think of Tomoe. It was too much to bear.  
  
And now...more people would get hurt. _Sanosuke...Yahiko_...Kenshin couldn't bear if any of them got injured because he dragged them into his fight.  
  
And Shishio had somehow managed to drag Kaoru-dono into this whole mess. Even though she hadn't done anything—Shishio was just using her. Shishio would probably use Kaoru-dono against him or something—he didn't know. He didn't know precisely why Shishio had kidnapped her.  
  
Shishio had managed to drag in everyone he cared about, into this horrible battle they were supposed to fight out. Did Shishio mean to use his major weakness against him? Judging by Okubo's description of him, Shishio was the type to do that. He seemed coldblooded; relentless.  
  
But Kenshin couldn't afford for any else of the people closest to him to be hurt...all because of him...  
  
That meant he would have to leave Sanosuke and Yahiko here, and go off on his own. They might be furious with him later on, but even that would be worth it—they wouldn't get hurt, or even killed, that way.  
  
And even if they did try to follow after him to Kyoto, they wouldn't know where to go. Kenshin had grown up in Kyoto—the others hadn't. He alone would know where to go to fight Shishio—and get back Kaoru-dono.  
  
With a great sigh, Kenshin pushed himself up from his sitting position and brushed off the back of his white pants. It wrenched at his heart to betray Sano and Yahiko like this, but it had to be done. No more pain had to be brought upon his friends.  
  
He, Kenshin, would have to go out to Kyoto alone.  
  
But he would have to plan a good time to escape into the night, without Sano or Yahiko noticing.  
  
He would have to become a wanderer again—away from this wonderful place which he called 'home', for the first time in ten years.  
  
Away from this dojo, which housed the young woman he desperately loved, desperately felt a need to protect, to care for. He would have to leave his wonderful friends—Sanosuke, Yahiko, Dr. Gensai, Megumi, Ayame, and Suzumi.  
  
But he would do it, if his leaving brought them safeness, away from harm. Besides, in that fight with Saitou, Kenshin had almost lost control of himself.  
  
He had almost reverted back to the Battousai, and he couldn't stop himself. Sure, he had punched himself in the head to snap out of it, but how about next time? What harm would he conduct before he could snap out of it again?  
  
Yes, Kenshin sadly decided, after he killed Shishio and returned Kaoru-dono to her home, he would leave to become a rurouni again. That is, saying if he did kill Shishio.  
  
Kenshin was still uncertain about that, but he would do anything to get back Kaoru-dono. Even killing a man—but that man was a dangerous murderer.  
  
Heaving in a deep sigh, Kenshin trudged his way back through the deep puddles to his room. He would pack whatever items he needed, and leave at nightfall, under the full moon.  
  
With all his heart, he wished he could have been able to say goodbye to Yahiko and Sanosuke.  
  
------------------  
  
6:00 pm  
  
Sanosuke quickly shoved his long-fingered hands into his wide pockets again as another cold, cutting breeze wafted through the row of tenements, where Katsu lived. He angrily clenched his teeth together as he stamped his shoes on the concrete ground.  
  
He had been waiting there, outside Katsu's home, for such a long time now. Where was that freaking guy?  
  
Pursing his lips in annoyance, Sano turned to the door and pounded on it again. "Katsu! Katsu!! Where the _hell _are you?!"  
  
Huffing, Sano waited a few more seconds, eyes trained on the door. When it became obvious that no one would answer, Sano slumped down on the ground in frustration and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.  
  
God, Kenshin had gone through hell today. That note about Jo-chan, the bloody fight with that bastard Saitou, and Okubo's information about Shishio. Any normal guy would have exploded under the pressure. But Kenshin wasn't a normal guy.  
  
In fact, Sanosuke was amazed that Kenshin was waiting for Okubo to come tomorrow. Kenshin seemed so concerned about Jo-chan, and it was hard imagining him waiting when Jo-chan could be in danger.  
  
Sanosuke sank even lower so that he was lying flat on his back on the concrete ground. He could feel the chill seeping off the concrete and penetrating his clothes. On the inside of his closed lids, red fire blinded him, and he could feel the warmth of the setting sun on his face.  
  
The ground vibrated a little under Sanosuke's sprawled body, and he could hear footsteps coming up the street. Sano kept his eyes closed, his arms folded across his chest.  
  
The foosteps stopped. "Sano?"  
  
Sanosuke blinked, and quickly sat up, opening his eyes. The full, blazing glare of the setting sun shone into his eyes, illuminating the gentle chestnut warmth of his eyes, and he hastily threw up his right arm so to block the rays.  
  
The footsteps came closer, at a quicker rate. Sano turned around and blinked away the dots swimming in front of his eyes. As his vision cleared, he saw a familiar man dashing up to him. His shoulder-length raven hair was kept in slight order by a dark green band the man wore around his head. He wore a simple red cloak around his shoulders. On his face shone a surprised smile.  
  
Sanosuke felt the corners of his lips curve up in a smile as well, as his longtime friend caught up to him. "Katsu, where the hell were you? I was waiting here for such a hella long time." But he couldn't stay angry with his friend any longer.  
  
Katsu let out a chuckle, and turned to the door of his small home. While he opened the door, Katsu spoke over his shoulder. "Sano, you know me—I was just out by the river, enjoying the sight. It's one of my favorite pasttimes, and it helps calm myself." He stepped into the interior of his home, and beckoned Sanosuke in behind him.  
  
As Sanosuke sat down, Katsu made tea for both of them. Then as Katsu joined him at the little table, Sanosuke plunged into his story. As Katsu sipped slowly at his steaming tea, Sano explained about Kaoru's kidnapping, Kenshin's fight with Saitou Hajime, the danger of Shishio, and their predicament.  
  
"So you see," Sanosuke finished, his voice a little hoarse from talking for such a long time, "I'm coming along with Kenshin. It's going to be real _dangerous_, that fight with Shishio, and I want to be there in case something happens to Kenshin."  
  
Sanosuke took a deep breath and reached for his untouched cup of tea, raising it to his lips. Katsu set down his own cup of tea, eyes solemn and serious.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't really rely on my own two fists," Sano continued, staring into the depths of his swirling tea. "Shishio seemsway too _powerful_ for that. I'm going to need some backup weapon, in case it does get out of hand. And—"  
  
Sanosuke's words died on his lips and he glanced up, as Katsu got up and headed over to a set of doors across the room. Clicking open the doors, Katsu bent down slightly and rummaged through its interior for a few seconds. Then he stood up again, holding something in his arms. Without a word, Katsu returned to the little table and gently dropped whatever he was holding onto the table.  
  
A large handful of bombs landed onto the table in front of Sano. There were bombs of every kind Katsu had ever made—extremely useful in battles.  
  
Wordlessly, Sano stretched out a hand toward the pile of bombs and picked one up. Bringing it close to his eyes, he could tell by scrutinizing it that it was one of Katsu's best made.  
  
Something gripped Sano's heart and choked him, forming a lump in his heart. He looked up at Katsu and gave him a warm smile, thinking about how kind his friend was.  
  
Katsu gave Sano a smile in return. "Since you've been going on about how this Shishio Makoto guy's all dangerous and coldblooded, I figure I won't see you anytime soon. Or anytime at all, at that."  
  
Sano got up and slapped Katsu hard on the back. "Don't start underestimating me yet, you big idiot." In his chocolate eyes shone a curious warmth and glint.  
  
Katsu slapped Sano back just as hard. "Don't give me any _reason_ to yet, you bigger idiot." A huge smile broke out over his face.  
  
The two friends laughed, and Sano felt a surrendering wave of nostalgia. Impulsively, he reached out for his friend and clasped him into a tight hug. Katsu was right—there was a chance that he wouldn't come back.  
  
Katsu bit his bottom lip and hugged the taller man back, knowing that this man, his best friend, may disappear from his life in the matter of a few weeks.  
  
Then Sano stepped back, and collapsed back onto his cushion, examining the bombs piled in front of him. "Honestly, this is really good stuff, Katsu," he said, trying to sound normal. "Are you sure it's okay to give 'em to me?"  
  
Katsu drew in a deep breath. "Sure, it's not like I'm going to use them anytime soon." He gave Sano a wavering smile.  
  
As Sano began stacking the bombs into neat piles, Katsu walked to the door and pulled it open, glancing outside. It had gotten dusky, and a few stars had started to faintly emerge in the twilight sky.  
  
Katsu turned back to his friend, closing the door. "Sano, you should stay overnight. It's getting dark outside, and you should be saving up your energy. After all, you _are_ setting out tomorrow or the day after, right? After Okubo Toshimichi comes?"  
  
Sano looked up, and set down a bomb. "Uh...I guess so. Thanks, Katsu. I really appreciate this."  
  
Katsu strode over to sit back down on his cushion and pick up his now-cold cup of tea. He didn't say what he was thinking: that he wanted to do all that he could for his friend before he set out. After all, there was a strong possibility that he would not see Sano again—ever.  
  
---------------------  
  
10:00 pm  
  
It had taken a while for Yahiko to fall asleep. Kenshin had had to persuade him, saying that he had to keep up his strength for the long journey to Kyoto. But at last, Yahiko had reluctantly rolled out his futon and collapsed on top of it.  
  
But as Kenshin gently closed the sliding screen door, loud fake snores had issued from Yahiko's room. Kenshin knew Yahiko just wanted to practice some more, but the reasoning about energy conservation made sense.  
  
Kenshin did feel guilty for tricking Yahiko like this. But to have Kaoru-dono suffer just one more day...  
  
Kenshin had sat outside Yahiko's room for a while, listening to the volume of Yahiko's fake snoring decrease ever so steadily. Now, as he pressed his ear to the sliding screen door, he could hear the soft, steady sound of deep breathing. Yahiko was asleep.  
  
As softly and slowly as possible, Kenshin stood up. Treading gently down the hall to his room, he slid back the door and stepped in.  
  
The room was pitch-black. In the middle of the room sat a rolled-up futon, with a sheathed sword lying against the stack of blankets. On top of the stack sat a small, worn carrypack, which contained some money and food.  
  
Stepping further into the room, his sandals giving dry scratching sounds, Kenshin knelt to pick up the sakabatou and his pack. As he slowly tucked the sheath into his hakama and slung the pack over his shoulder, his dark violet eyes suddenly gleamed with unshed tears.  
  
From beside the stack of blankets, Kenshin drew out a sheet of paper and a pen. Kneeling down on one knee, Kenshin quickly penned out a note:  
  
"_Sanosuke, Yahiko, and everyone else,  
  
I'm sorry. I've decided to become a wanderer again. It isn't worth putting you, my friends, in danger—I might become Battousai again. Please tell Okubo-dono, when he comes, that I've set out for Kyoto. I'll do what he requested of me. _

_I can't wait any longer. _

_Sayonara_."  
  
A tear splashed wetly onto the paper, beside the last word he'd wrote down. Quickly, with his finger, Kenshin wiped it away. Then he carefully set down the note onto the stack of blankets, and stood up again, tied red hair swirling around his shoulders.  
  
As he walked out of his room, and started to walk out of the Kamiya dojo, he decided to stop by the fireflies, just by sentiments' sake.  
  
It was a rather cool night, the full moon shining down benevolently upon the world. As Kenshin walked out of the gates of the Kamiya dojo, the road stretching ahead of him was bathed in a soft blue moonlight.  
  
Kenshin walked a little down the road, and stepped a little into the woods. The gentle lapping of the river could still be heard, and fireflies flitted about. Kenshin sadly watched their many lights dance around the grass, around the trees, and around the river.  
  
He and Kaoru-dono used to step outside in the night to watch the fireflies flitting around in the cool night air, sitting right at this place where he was standing. It was just outside of the Kamiya dojo, and an easy walk at that.  
  
It had been so romantic, just the two of them. The soft blue moonlight shone across the river, rippling the water gently. Even in the latest of night, it was so bright, as the moonlight and fireflies' light swept away the darkness.  
  
Kenshin could almost hear his heart breaking, in the soft silence broken only by the sound of crickets chirping happily. He sadly gazed out over the moonlight river, the lights of the fireflies flitting around the peaceful scene.  
  
_Kaoru-dono...I'm thankful for everything you've done for me, that I am. You didn't care about my horrible past—that I was once Battousai the hitokiri.  
  
You made me so happy, you and the others, because you took me for who I was. You let me live a normal life with you. For that, I'm eternally grateful, that I am.  
  
I'm going to miss you all—but I have to leave. That's for the best, that it is.  
  
Kaoru-dono, you gave me such happiness; you gave me a break from the harshness of my life. I'll get you back from Shishio, and return you to your happy life. You'll do well without me, that you will.  
  
If I defeat Shishio, I'm going back to being a wanderer.  
  
Everyone—Kaoru-dono, Sanosuke, Yahiko, Megumi, Dr. Gensai, Ayame, Suzumi—I'll miss you all.  
  
Sayonara._

And with that, Kenshin turned on his heel, the pale blue moonlight awash over his face, illuminating a single, sparkling tear trailing down his cheek. His gi shone dark purple in the dimness, and his hakama glowed a pale blue.

Without a word, Kenshin started walking slowly into the shadows, his heart breaking, as the darkness swallowed him up.

_-----------------_

_"Meiji 11... ...Kenshin returned to being a wandering rurouni again. He disappeared...into the dark, alone."_  
  
TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, now I think this is the longest chapter I've ever done. This could easily be the most angsty chapter, as well.  
  
Goodness, I feel stupid...A few days ago, I accidentally reviewed myself. :) I was trying out that new feature had on my own fic, and little did I know, you can't delete signed reviews. So if you click on the Review section and see it there, don't think I'm obnoxious or want a ton of reviews—just know that it's a good, honest mistake. :)  
  
Until the next chapter!  
  
-Twilight Sky 


	13. Unexpected Foes

Author's Note: Hmm...I _do_ have a way of starting out chapters awkwardly and trying to stuff in as many details as possible. But near the middle and end, I get so into my story that I don't bother with the details anymore—everything just flows out of my fingers and onto the computer screen. So I'll do my best to throw myself in on the beginning of this chapter. Trouble is, my writing style has me picture the scene vividly in my head and I just include each and every piece of action that happens. I hope this isn't too confusing :).  
  
Condensed {sob} Review Responses:  
  
(**Whisper of Darkness:** I try to build up my chapters with emotion, and I'm glad you catching that- **GoldAngel2:** I'm glad my writing style doesn't confuse you--personally, when I read over my work, I can't seem to process the thought that the words conjure up. Maybe it's just the author's point of view :). **Assassinatorgirl:** Food-crusted clothes? Trash? Urgh...I'm glad I don't have to do that. Kenshin in a Sims maid outfit?! He needs a little mole near his lip, but otherwise, he'd look so cute! **Star0704:** Great! I was trying to make the scenario as realistic as I could get it—a corny, cheesy story isn't too realistic...**Psychotic-Jessi**: I'm starting to fear that my favorites list will be overflowed as well soon....By the way, were you Shadow Hitokiri before? Because I typed up the review responses a few days earlier and I was rereading them later on. Then I looked in my review box to respond to more, and then...I'm confused :). **Rurouni madness:** The good-bye scene always made me sad as well—that was the part I really looked forward to when I started writing this out...! Thanks for the extra help! **Brittanie Love: **It's so cool that you keep coming back—I'm glad you like it :) **Lil' JJ:** Thanks! When I got onto at first, I used it as a procrastination- purpose. Then it actually evolved into something I could use to sharpen my writing skills. I'm glad you're noticing it! **Furyou Youkai Houshi:** There's going to be such a sappy sweet K/K ending to this that you'll need to rinse out your mouth...XD   
  
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin isn't mine, but the story idea is (except for the whole Kyoto Arc thing, of course).  
  
Quick Recap of Chapter 12: When Kaoru finally awakes from her painful 'gray' dream, she encounters Houji, who had come to bring Kaoru food but discovered the bokken lying underneath her. This leads to a little fight between Kaoru and Houji, as Houji had been trying to take away the bokken without any resistance. Finally, Kaoru is able to render Houji unconscious with her bokken, and she ties him up with strips of cloth ripped out from her kimono.  
Then, Sanosuke visits Katsu, and tells him of the unfortunate situation. Feeling that his friend may step into grave danger, Katsu gives Sano a large handful of his bombs.  
Lastly, Kenshin leaves the dojo, after having scribbled down a note to Sanosuke and Yahiko explaining why he is leaving without them—he'll just put them all in danger. Then, under the full moon, he stops by the riverside with the fireflies and silently bids his friends goodbye—he's going back to being a rurouni, if it'll keep them out of danger. With a tear trickling down his cheek, he disappears into the shadows, heading for Kyoto.

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection**  
  
**Chapter 13: Unexpected Foes**

DAY THREE—6:00am  
  
The leaves rustled gently overhead, the dappled light of the rising sun's rays throwing a disco ball of scattered light across the shadowed dirt. The woods formed a cool shelter for the red-haired rurouni that walked the trail alone.  
  
Raising his head slightly to glance in the eastern direction, Kenshin sadly admired the pale red beauty of the rising sun. A cool breeze wafted around him, the loose flaps of his clothing rippling gently. The leafy tops of trees whispered gently, swaying their bushy handfuls of leaves.  
  
He had been walking for quite a while—ever since he had left the moonlit riverside and the radiant fireflies. He should have emerged out from the shady woods by now, but no matter how hard he willed himself to stride quicker, each step had been slow and laborious as he thought about his plan of action.  
  
He would not get to Shishio's for quite a while, he knew. As desperate as he was to get Kaoru-dono out of there before further harm could be done to her, he had to wait. He had to wait for the perfect opportunity, when their chances were high. Shishio had to also be taken down a notch or two. Shishio himself didn't know how powerful he was. And with Kaoru-dono at stake, Shishio would be practically invincible.  
  
Kenshin had to prepare for that. If he, Kenshin, could just _lower_ Shishio's power...there would be a much better chance of getting Kaoru-dono back unharmed.  
  
The wooden stick thrust through the tie knot of his travel bag was starting to cut into his right shoulder. Kenshin adjusted the horizontally placed stick on his shoulder, and his small purple travel bag thudded against his back.  
  
His light footsteps crunched among the dry twigs and leaves that littered the dirt trail. With a downward glance at them, Kenshin felt his lips pull up into a rueful smile. Little by little, his sandals were starting to break down—the strap was gradually fraying. Soon it would snap altogether-- he would have to get new ones soon. In Kyoto, he would.  
  
Throwing his head back up, his fiery red hair catching the rosy light of the rising sun, Kenshin focused his attention back on the trail. Then he paused, and his heart thudded an extra beat.  
  
Up ahead, the dirt road finally forked. The left turn pointed to deeper, shadier woods.   
  
The right turn pointed to the way to Kyoto.  
  
As Kenshin strode toward the fork in the road, he clutched his traveling bag over his right shoulder tightly. As the red-tinged sky started to gradually fade into a clear blue, unseen birds started to add their sweet, high voices to the silence of the peaceful woods.  
  
Licking his dry bottom lip, Kenshin veered right, his sandals whispering across the dirt ground.  
  
The view of a sleeping town rose up before him, as he walked further down the path. Slowly, the tall shady trees thinned out, drawing away their cool shadows.  
  
Kenshin stepped into the sunlight, squinting a bit. As he walked further down the road, his quiet, dry footsteps turned to scuffing footsteps. The dirt path had turned into a concrete road.  
  
No, he wasn't in Kyoto yet; this was a town between Tokyo and Kyoto. At the rate he was going, he would reach Kyoto in a few days or maybe more.  
  
He took another step, breathing in the fresh, clean air. It would get even hotter later on, so Kenshin would have to stop soon at a nearby inn.  
  
As Kenshin walked slowly down the concrete road, the scuffing of his footsteps almost drowned out the sound of someone lazily clearing his or her throat. But then the rough sound came again, and Kenshin paused, turning his head in the direction where the sound had come from.  
  
The sight made him draw back and narrow his eyes.  
  
Saitou Hajime leaned casually against the base of a tall oak tree off to the side of the road. He looked as if he were merely resting against the tree; his arms and legs were lazily crossed. A slim cigarette protruded out from between his thin lips, not yet lighted. He still wore his dark blue police uniform, with the sleeves slightly rolled up.  
  
Saitou pushed himself off the base of the tree with one foot and stepped toward Kenshin, lifting a gloved hand up to his mouth and withdrawing the unlit cigarette. "I knew you'd come."  
  
Kenshin didn't know what to say to this; he remained silent, violet eyes narrowed. _How did_...?  
  
As if reading Kenshin's mind, Saitou calmly replied, "I followed you for some time since you left that dojo—did you not suspect? And you're supposed to be the great Battousai." His lip curled.  
  
The red-haired rurouni drew in a harsh breath. Saitou continued, the sneer hanging about his lips. "When you and Okubo were talking about Shishio Makoto, I listened at the door. You two never knew I was there.  
  
"The hesitant way you agreed to wait for Okubo—like you were about to leave him hanging. The pained way you spoke about that girl—like you were about to get her anyway, but didn't want to resort to killing in order to get her back. In other words, your mind was a mess, crammed with pain, guilt, confusion, and indecision.  
  
"So, you sorted it all out. Your original plans of beating down Shishio without killing him wouldn't work, if you intended to get back that girl. But to get her back, you would have to _kill_ him. Which violates your vow.  
  
"And now," Saitou continued, staring down Kenshin with a smirk visible on his lips, "you don't know what to do, do you? Going to go along the lines of your original plan?"  
  
Kenshin snapped his head furiously back up, fiery hair flying everywhere. He opened his mouth to say something, but Saitou interrupted. "That's why I followed you. You see, Battousai, yesterday, I waited. I waited for your move. All of you unsuspectingly thought I had left with Okubo and Kawaji. Truth is, I lingered behind, in hiding."  
  
Saitou paused to reach into his pocket and withdrew a worn book of matches. With one gloved hand, he flicked open the cover and pulled out a red- tipped match. In a quick movement with his gloved fingers, the match was ignited and quickly brought to his cigarette. Kenshin tensely waited.  
  
Taking a long drag of his cigarette and exhaling the suffocating smoke through his nostrils, Saitou drew the smoking cigarette back down and resumed his explanation. "Then nightfall came. When the moon was at its highest, you came walking out of the dojo with your travel bag and a grim expression on your face. I knew I was then correct. You were going to Kyoto to try to take down Shishio yourself and get back that girl—with no help. You didn't even bother to wait for Okubo to give him your answer, or to wait for me, who would accompany you. Such an ego."  
  
Kenshin interrupted, his narrowed eyes flashing. "You had no excuse to listen to Okubo-dono's and my conversation. As for leaving the dojo without any help or explanations, I did not want anyone else in this. They could get hurt, that they could."  
  
Saitou's lips thinned even more. "So you were just being your typical rurouni self. Well, then, if it's settled.  
  
"You can get to Kyoto even quicker if you go by ship—instead of trudging along at the pace of a dead snail. And" –his eyes quickly skimmed the skimpy bulge of Kenshin's travel bag and he sneered once more—"the government will pay for your ticket, so you won't go broke, if that's what you're afraid of."  
  
Kenshin gripped the stick stuck through the tie knot of his travel bag tightly. "As a matter of fact, I'd rather not. Shishio Makoto seems to have eyes and ears everywhere. The ship could be attacked and more innocent people will be hurt. I'd rather go by foot."  
  
Saitou brought the slim white cigarette up to his lips again and took in a long draw. Dark cigarette smoke rose from his nostrils, and he narrowed his eyes against the smoke. "Suit yourself. I'm going on the ship. But first I'm heading back to Tokyo—this slight detour threw me off track."  
  
Kenshin gave Saitou a small nod. "I understand," he replied, eyes narrowed.  
  
Saitou lowered the cigarette from his lips and dropped it to the ground. With the right heel of his shiny shoe, he ground it into the concrete path, leaving a dark, ashy mark behind. "I'll meet up with you later, Battousai."  
  
And they parted ways, Kenshin heading down the concrete path as the sun rose higher, and Saitou disappearing into the dark, shady woods.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
7:30 am  
  
The lit candle at the other side of the room had sputtered out again, blanketing the large, luxurious room in darkness. Kaoru got up, clutching her bokken tightly in her right hand, and felt her way toward the fallen side table where she had made a mess making her bokken.  
  
She was getting to know her way around this room pretty well. After being in here for so long, Kaoru knew where practically everything was. In the deafening silence, she could hear Soujirou's gold-rimmed pocket watch ticking away near the double wooden doors at the front of the room, where she had thrown it in a fit of pain earlier. The steady ticking sound came from her left, which meant she was facing the way of the collapsed side table and the strewn unlit candles.  
  
When she felt she had gotten near to the mess, she bent down and fell on her hands and knees. With her right hand, she felt around the green- carpeted floor, searching for the book of matches and a candle.  
  
Her fingers collided against the hard wood of the side table, and a little ways past that, she found the book of matches. Crawling closer, she awkwardly pulled open the cover and felt among the harsh heads of the matches until she extracted one out.  
  
Now came the part she always dreaded the most when using matches.  
  
Clutching the match and the tiny book in her right hand, she reached out with her other hand for a candle. A thick, smooth cylindrical object brushed against her fingertips, and she closed her fingers around it.  
  
Kaoru opened her blue eyes as wide as she could, trying to see through the thick darkness. The only light came from a thin crack from the closed double doors at the front of the room, but that wasn't nearly enough.  
  
She turned back to her unseen task, and set the candle with its dish on the carpeted floor. Now to light the match.... without seeing it.  
  
Her fingers felt around the book of matches until she felt the harsh strip on the back. Keeping her thumb on the edge of it, she positioned the match over the strip and drew it quickly over the strip.  
  
Nothing happened. Kaoru grimaced and pulled the match over the strip again, though with more force. The flimsy match bent in half in her fingers.  
  
Kaoru closed her eyes in frustration and threw the spent match into oblivion. Dusting off her hands, she flipped open the cover of the book of matches again and took another one out.  
  
This one she held tightly in her fingertips, and as quickly as she could, she scratched the rough strip with the head of the match.  
  
Kaoru almost dropped the tiny match as a flame burst from the tip of the match, filling the dark room with dim light. Quickly, she transferred the flame to the nub of the candle before her.  
  
She needed more light than this.  
  
Looking around her for another candle, Kaoru grabbed one and held the lit match to it. Soon both candles were burning merrily on the ground in their little dishes, and Kaoru stood up, task accomplished. But she would have to be careful—if the candles fell over, the room would be filled with suffocating flames.  
  
She turned her attention to the still unconscious man sprawled out on the yellow couch, his wrists and ankles bound. He still hadn't woken up yet, although Kaoru had been waiting for hours.  
  
Kaoru hoisted her bokken back into her hand and headed over to the ticking pocket watch over by the double wooden doors. Kneeling down, she picked it up and observed the face of the watch.  
  
7:55.  
  
Was it morning or night? Kaoru thought back on the hours she had spent here. But even her reasoning wouldn't be accurate, as she had fallen unconscious or asleep many times...without knowing how long she had lain there.  
  
Kaoru drew in a deep breath. She felt so tired and disoriented, not knowing if it was morning or night, or what day it was. There were no windows in this room whatsoever, so she couldn't tell. At least Soujirou had helped her confusion by loaning her his gold pocket watch.  
  
A faint noise from the direction of the yellow couch made Kaoru still, her heart thudding painfully fast. She stayed there, kneeling on the ground, sapphire eyes wide, not moving. In her right hand, she gripped her bokken tightly.  
  
A deep groan echoed through the room, and Kaoru heard the rustling of clothes as the green-coated man struggled to sit up. Then, hoarsely, he let out a colorful string of curses as he noticed his bound wrists and ankles.  
  
Kaoru slowly stood up, bokken grasped in both her hands, and walked toward the yellow couch on which the man was heavily sprawled. He was thrashing his entire body, teeth clenched angrily, flapping like a fish stranded on land.  
  
As Kaoru stood directly in front of the man, he opened his hooded eyes and saw her. "_You_--!"  
  
"Me," Kaoru replied calmly, her initial panic gone now that she was sure she had bound the man tightly enough. She raised the bokken threateningly, and the man hastily flinched back a bit. Perhaps he was still remembering the heavy blow she had delivered to his head before.  
  
Kaoru seated herself next to the man, laying the bokken across her lap. Turning her head to glance at him, she was startled to see him glaring at her with anger and fury in his shadowed eyes.  
  
Well, she thought, regaining her composure quickly, she _had_ conked him pretty hard on the head. No doubt he was feeling the aftereffects.  
  
Settling herself more comfortably, she started to question him.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
The man turned his head away angrily, and Kaoru heard him swear furiously under his breath.  
  
-------------------------  
  
Houji hated this. He absolutely, truly, deeply despised this.  
  
Who'd have thought that this slender girl—Kaoru—could render him unconscious and truss him up like a chicken? The thought was deeply despicable. It infuriated him that Kaoru could treat him like he was the captured one, instead of the other way around. He had to bring her down to her true level. After all, he was Houji, Shishio's own advisor. He could think of an immensely good plan to get out of this unfortunate situation.  
  
Just not at the moment.  
  
Why not answer her question? What would she do with the information? Nothing. The result at the end would still be the same. She would be too slow to do anything with the information. He would answer her questions, and Kami see if she could make anything of it.  
  
_Not likely._  
  
-------------------------  
  
The man turned his head again toward Kaoru, and a slightly defiant look in his eyes gleamed. "Houji. My name is Houji. I work for Shishio-sama."  
  
Kaoru clenched her teeth together. Of course he worked for Shishio. But now she knew his name—Houji.  
  
She took a deep breath, and continued. "Tell me why exactly Shishio's doing this." She clenched her hands tightly in her lap and waited for the answer.  
  
Houji's lids lowered in disbelief. Wasn't it obvious? "Power. Money! _Of course_."  
  
Kaoru winced again, and played with the bokken in her lap. Was everybody nowadays power hungry? It seemed to be all about conquering something.  
  
"So he wants to... take over Japan?"  
  
"Correct."  
  
"What else?"  
  
"Shishio-sama wants to be the best. Or should I say, the best hitokiri of them all."  
  
"Is that why...Shishio...Kenshin...?" Kaoru let her sentence trail off, knowing that this Houji would understand.  
  
"Hai."  
  
"So I'm basically bait for Kenshin? For Kenshin to come?"  
  
"Some of it."  
  
Kaoru frowned. What else was she going to be used for?  
  
She voiced her question. "What else do you want to use me for?"  
  
There was a long pause. Kaoru tensely waited. Finally, with a cold glare up at her, Houji answered. "That I cannot say."  
  
Kaoru sat there, shocked, for a few moments. So Shishio's gang had something planned for her...if Houji had been willing to answer her earlier questions, though a bit reluctantly, then this question must have been diving in even deeper into Shishio's plan.  
  
Then she fired another question at Houji. "Shishio said I was going to hurt Kenshin in some way. How am I going to?" Perhaps Shishio meant only her kidnapping. She hoped so. But if it was something else...  
  
Houji paused again. Then his hooded eyes flickered, and he replied, "That question is related to your previous question. I'm not answering either one."  
  
Kaoru pushed herself up from the couch, away from the sprawled Houji. She heatedly grabbed her bokken in her left hand and stepped away, feeling his cold, dark eyes on her back.  
  
Then she whirled back around, feeling her eyes flash in pent-up emotion. "_Why_?" she suddenly screamed angrily at Houji. "Why is Shishio tearing Kenshin and me apart just to gain _power_? And why are you assisting him in this terrible task? Is it because you want power as well? Do you want to _profit_ from the power Shishio might gain from doing this? Don't you realize that you're tearing apart _happiness_, in order to get what you want?"  
  
Kaoru drew in a deep, angry breath and continued. "No, you don't. No, you don't, you bastard. You're so feeble that you have to follow after _Shishio-sama_ to get your power. In order to get it, you have to trample all over people's feelings. Now _that_ is a true sign of weakness."  
  
Furiously, Kaoru turned her back on the man and stalked to the front of the room, before the closed double wooden doors. She leaned forward and rested her hot forehead against the wooden doors, shaking in suppressed fury. In her hands, she tightly gripped the handle of her bokken.  
  
Behind her, Kaoru could hear Houji cursing under his breath. There was rustling as he struggled to sit himself up on the couch, and barely muffled groans of pain.  
  
Kaoru felt like whacking him on the head once again, but she forced herself to remain still. Angrily, she bit her bottom lip, and gripped her bokken tighter in her grasp.  
  
There were more rustling sounds and thumps as Houji struggled to sit upright, swearing under his breath. He was taking an awfully long time, Kaoru thought, as unfit as he was. But when he finally got up, he would be very angry with her—for insulting him, for knocking him out, and for tying him up.  
  
Kaoru didn't feel like facing him right now. Instead, she remained resting her forehead against the semi-coolness of the wooden door, feeling herself calm down. Her grasp on the bokken loosened slightly.  
  
Suddenly, there was the dry sound of cloth tearing behind her. Kaoru, still leaning against the door, felt her sapphire blue eyes widen in panic.  
  
Quickly she turned around to face Houji, midnight-black hair flying everywhere, and her heart skipped a beat.  
  
Houji had somehow gotten his bound wrists in front of him, and had torn away the strip of binding blue cloth with his teeth. Now his hands were free.  
  
Through Kaoru's mind rang chaos. _Oh no...oh no...oh no...oh no_... her mind screamed at her. Why hadn't she secured Houji's bounds more tightly?  
  
Houji plunged his right hand into the interior pocket of his long green coat and drew out a shining, black handgun. "This time, you're _getting_ it, girl." In his eyes shone fury and determination, as he lifted up the handgun and pointed it straight at Kaoru, positioning his finger over the trigger.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: You know the day number and time before each scene? Like, DAY THREE, 6:00am? Are they even helpful? I don't know, it seems a bit strange...Ah, one more thing. When you go to read an updated chapter of someone's fic and they haven't updated in a long time, do you feel disoriented and confused--because you forgot everything that happened? The Recaps right before the story should help :). It's like a TV episode--first you get the credits and disclaimer, then you get the recap, then the title screen, and then the rest just follows. :)

-Twilight Sky


	14. The Rage of Gunfire

Author's Note: Reformatting of the chapters has taken place—for possibly easier reading, I've moved the review responses to after the chapter. Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Oh yes, I'm going to Hong Kong and China next week, so the next chapter might come a bit later (doesn't it always?! ;) Sorry about that!)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, but this variation to the Kyoto Arc plot is mine.  
  
Last Chapter: Kenshin, on the journey to Kyoto, encounters Saitou, who had followed him. Saitou attempts to get Kenshin to come with him on the train to Kyoto, but Kenshin adamantly refuses, voicing his concerns about a possible Shishio-ordered attack on the train. Saitou then makes his way back in the direction of the Kamiya dojo, while Kenshin walks on ahead.  
  
Then, back at the Temple of the Six Arches, Houji finally awakens, his arms and legs bound together. After a brief interrogation of him, Kaoru barely manages to squeeze any information from him, save for the reason that Shishio had used her as bait for Kenshin to come. Angry, Kaoru turns away, only to turn back around and see that Houji had squirmed furiously out of his bonds. Houji manages to draw a handgun out from the inner pocket of his green coat and aims it at Kaoru, positioning his finger on the trigger...

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection  
  
Chapter 14: The Rage of Gunfire**

DAY THREE—8:30 am  
  
Houji plunged his right hand into the interior pocket of his long green coat and drew out a shining, black handgun. "This time, you're getting it, girl." In his eyes shone fury and determination, as he lifted up the handgun and pointed it straight at Kaoru, positioning his finger over the trigger.  
  
Kaoru stood still, paralyzed, her heart leaping to her throat. Slowly, she clenched her clammy fingers and started to back away, her wide blue eyes fixed on the barrel of the glistening gun. Through her panic, her mind started to scream rapid instructions to her, but to Kaoru, it was all drowned through the roaring of her ears.  
  
Her chin shaking slightly, Kaoru took another step back and her heel collided with the closed wooden doors behind her. At the same time, Houji threw himself angrily off the yellow couch with a growling yell and landed with a loud thump on the floor, the shining gun aimed directly at Kaoru.  
  
The sturdy wood of Kaoru's bokken thudded against the wooden door behind her, as she pressed herself against the door. For a moment, she clasped the slim fingers of her right hand tighter around the bokken's obi grip. If she could—no. A wooden sword—against Houji's positioned gun—  
  
A drop of cold sweat ran down Kaoru's forehead and over her cheek. There seemed to be no way out of this. All Houji had to do was press the trigger...  
  
Two yards in front of her, a truly frightening smirk lifted up Houji's lips. He drew up his right foot and took a sinister step forward, keeping the gun steady, his finger poised over the trigger. "You deserve this, you know." He took another step forward with his left foot, the disturbing smirk on his face widening. "Don't play around with a member of the _Juppongatana, _bitch."  
  
Kaoru's short breaths came more and more quickly, as Houji stepped closer and closer, filling in the gap between them. As he took the final step forward, he lifted the gun higher and sneered, "You'll live to regret it." His hooded, shadowed eyes widened as a menacing grin spread over his face, and he lifted his chin to let out a loud roar of laughter.  
  
Kaoru pressed herself against the cold wood of the closed double doors behind her, bokken clenched tightly in her sweating palms. She tightly squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see him raise his gun again and pull the trigger. That horrible picture would be the last thing she ever saw, before she left the world.  
  
Another cold trickle of sweat ran down her cheek, and she drew in one more deep breath.  
  
Then suddenly, her sparkling sapphire eyes jolted open. It was too early to give up. She couldn't give up. Somehow, she had to find a way to get herself out of here—and prevent herself from hurting Kenshin. If she gave up now, they would keep tricking him—telling him that she was still alive -- and that would get Kenshin over here to get her out. She knew him. He would come.  
  
_I won't give up!_  
  
Kaoru dove to the ground and darted out from in front of Houji, just as he pulled the trigger. A deafening, cracking sound erupted in Kaoru's ears, and as a whizzing bullet passed by her right ear, she threw herself as far away from Houji and his gun as she could.  
  
Tumbling in a tangle to the ground, Kaoru pushed herself off the ground as fast as she could and grabbed hold of her bokken, which had fallen to the ground after her. As she got a good grip on her wooden sword, she heard another deafening crack from behind her and dove to the side. The sound of cloth tearing alerted Kaoru's ears, and she turned her head to see a clean, burned hole through the blue skirt of her kimono.  
  
Kaoru quickly glanced back up again, shining raven-black hair falling into her face. Houji had turned around, his eyes dark and furious. "_You_—!"  
  
In his right hand, the black gun smoked at the opening. He furiously raised the gun at Kaoru again, positioning his finger over the trigger.  
  
Clenching her teeth, Kaoru agonizingly shoved herself to a standing position and hefted her bokken into her fighting stance. She leaned slightly back on her left leg, preparing to leap at her attacker.  
  
They stood like that for a few seconds; weapons drawn and ready, eyes locked together, both breathing hard. Houji clutched painfully at his side with his left arm, panting in deep breaths. Kaoru stiffened, gripping her bokken tightly, glad for the long obi wrapped around the grip area of her bokken.  
  
As Houji's gaze flickered from her eyes to her poised wooden sword, Kaoru saw her chance. Springing back on her right leg and pushing off on her left leg, she rocketed forward at Houji, clutching her bokken over her head. Long, unleashed midnight-black hair tumbled around her shoulders and back, flying around her face, as she sailed through the air at an alarming speed.  
  
Houji released his left side and swiveled around, hastily throwing his left arm upwards so as to block off Kaoru's powerful attack. But he was too late. With a loud yell, Kaoru threw herself behind the bokken and gathered up all of her strength, slashing downwards with a heavy momentum.  
  
Houji threw himself backward at the last instant, and Kaoru's blow glanced off his left shoulder. With a loud grunt of pain, Houji collapsed heavily on the ground, throwing up his right arm and jabbing his gun into the air.  
  
Kaoru tried to twist to the side, but Houji's gun arm jabbed into her stomach as she fell to the ground. Drawing in a short, painful breath, she clenched the grip of her bokken tighter as she doubled over and collapsed in a heap to the ground beside Houji.  
  
Heavy pants came from beside her as Kaoru struggled to get up again, using her wooden sword as leverage. Houji still lay on the ground, clutching his left shoulder where Kaoru had whacked him.  
  
Then suddenly, Houji shoved himself to his feet, hooded eyes murderous as he turned his head and saw Kaoru trying to get up. With a furious snarl, he angrily straightened his expensive green coat and fixed his finger over the trigger of the gun. "What did I say about not playing around with a member of the Juppongatana?" he growled, stepping forward and waving the handgun around. "_Get up_!"  
  
A sheet of dark hair fell over Kaoru's face, hiding her expression. Houji waited tensely for her to move, his grip on the gun tightening.  
  
The slim fingers over the hilt of her wooden sword clenched tighter, and Kaoru turned her face slightly to glare Houji in the eye. Strands of hair fell over her face, but her eyes shone sapphire and bright with determination. Houji stepped back a little, his face tightening.  
  
Suddenly, Kaoru leaped up into the air, pulling her bokken with her. Houji let out an involuntary yell and brandished his shiny black gun. "I have a gun!" he yelled threateningly. "You can't fight a gun with that flimsy weapon!"  
  
Houji whirled around, waving his gun in the air, eyes wide, looking for the raven-haired girl. But the room appeared to be empty, as Houji pivoted on his heel, gripping the gun even tighter.  
  
A slight whisper of air shifted behind Houji, and he darted forward, twisting around and positioning the barrel of his gun in front of him. His hooded eyes widened in glee. "I have you now, wench!" he cried, sinking his finger down on the trigger...  
  
-----------------  
  
9:00 am  
  
Sanosuke walked back to the Kamiya dojo, large white pockets filled with Katsu's well-made bombs, a smile on his face as he watched two little kids running around the street. It seemed like a good day, he mused, lifting his head to gaze at the blue, cloudless sky.  
  
Okubo Toshimichi might be coming today for Kenshin's response, Sano thought. I wonder what decision Kenshin's going to make.  
  
As the tall, gangly roosterhead made his way through the dojo gates, he heard a strangled yell coming from inside the house.  
  
Sanosuke stopped dead in his tracks, hands stiff at his sides. Then he was in motion, pelting off to the house. _Who_--?  
  
Was it that Saitou bastard again? Sano thought angrily, his feet pounding down to the house, long red ribbon flying behind him. He had already wreaked so much _havoc_ on them—  
  
Sano raced down the hallway, stopping occasionally to fling aside sliding doors, and then continuing on. _Who screamed? Where was Kenshin_? His thoughts ricocheted off each other in his mind.  
  
Finally, as Sano got to Kenshin's room, he saw that the door was slightly slid open. He clenched his teeth angrily. _So something did happen..._  
  
Sanosuke screeched to a halt in front of Kenshin's door and swung himself inside, throwing up his fists in preparation. But what he saw made him lower his fists in shock.  
  
Yahiko stood in the center of the room, yellow gi plainly distinguishing him in the semi darkness. His tousled brown hair covered his eyes so that they weren't visible, but his mouth was slightly open as he stared down at a stack of folded blankets on the floor.  
  
A single piece of paper sat, neatly folded once, on the stack of blankets and futon.  
  
The sakabatou was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Sano took a breath through his suddenly dry mouth, and his heart plummeted. He took a step forward, and more steps, until he reached the piece of folded paper. With a shaking hand, he knelt down to pick it up.  
  
At a single glance, Sano scanned the entire, short note that Kenshin had penned out.  
  
_"Sanosuke, Yahiko, and everyone else,  
_  
_I'm sorry. I've decided to become a wanderer again. It isn't worth putting you, my friends, in danger—I might become Battousai again. Please tell Okubo-dono, when he comes, that I've set out for Kyoto. I'll do what he requested of me. I can't wait any longer. _

_Sayonara."  
_  
The note shivered in Sano's hands as he finished reading. Then, abruptly, he flung the piece of paper down and took an angry step back. "What do you mean, sayonara?!" Sanosuke screamed at the piece of paper fluttering to the floor. "You can't just leave! We were going to come with you to get Jo-chan back! You—! _K_--!"  
  
With an angry glance back at the offending piece of paper, Sano swiveled on his heel and stormed out of the room, pounding out of the house and out of the gates of the Kamiya dojo. As he ran, a haze of anger swam in front of his eyes and a heavy lump in his throat threatened to choke him. "_How could you--!"_  
  
--------------------  
  
9:30 am  
  
Another loud gunshot exploded through the room, and Kaoru felt her blue eyes widen in surprise. She hadn't expected Houji to fire like that...  
  
Kaoru fell out of the air, where she had been leaping at Houji in preparation of slamming her bokken down on his head. She landed heavily and painfully, gripping her left shoulder, where streams of blood were leaking out from.  
  
Houji had shot her where Soujirou had slashed before—in her left shoulder. This was twice as painful, as it had just been about to heal...  
  
Kaoru drew in deep, pained breaths, lying on the ground, her eyes squeezed shut in pain as white lightning shot through her shoulder. The slim fingers of her right hand clenched once over her wooden sword, and loosened.  
  
Houji panted, clutching his smoking black gun. Walking slowly over to Kaoru, he glared down at her and aimed the gun at her again. "Remember, this is what you _deserve_—for attacking Shishio's right hand man!" His mouth stretched in a gruesome grin, and his shadowed eyes widened in taunting.  
  
Kaoru rolled over onto her back, shining midnight-black hair spilling around her. She opened one eye painfully, and gave him a shaking smile. "You're not a very good fighter, are you? Only good with technology."  
  
She sucked in a breath and drew back her right elbow, gripping her wooden sword in her right hand. "You need" –she swung her bokken forcefully at his kneecaps—"to pay attention!"  
  
A high scream of pain echoed through the room. Houji's eyes bulged angrily as his knees gave out and he toppled forward. Kaoru rolled out just in time, as Houji collapsed in a painful heap to the floor.  
  
Kaoru managed to sit up, her bokken gripped in both of her hands in preparation. A warm, sticky liquid trickled down her left arm from her shoulder.  
  
Houji slumped over agonizingly on the floor, drawing in deep breaths. His head was bowed, as he clutched at his gun.  
  
Then suddenly, he jumped up again, all control lost. His face was twisted in fury and anguish as he struggled to stay up standing, his knees quivering. With one hand, he aimed the gun at her and snapped his finger over the trigger. Instantly, a loud crack echoed through the room.  
  
Without a second's hesitation, Kaoru threw herself to the side, as far away from Houji as she could get. As she flew through the air, another gunshot rang through the room, accompanied with a flash of pain in her right calve. Houji had managed to get her again.  
  
Kaoru landed behind the yellow couch in a crumpled heap, and immediately pressed herself against its back tensely. On the other side of the couch, limping footsteps could be heard.  
  
Then suddenly, the footsteps stopped.  
  
Kaoru held her breath, gritting her teeth from the fresh wave of pain in her right leg. Blood was now pooling in a little puddle on the hardwood ground, from both of her gunshot wounds. A river of crimson liquid trickled down her left arm, and she winced, closing her right hand around her wooden sword.  
  
Houji's harsh, pained breathing echoed around the room, and the tense tapping of his fingernails against the metal of the gun could be heard. Kaoru quietly got to her feet, clasping her weapon in both hands. She had to be ready to dart out from behind this couch, and strike him unconscious. It was a win-or-lose situation—the double wooden doors at the front of the room were the only way out, but they were locked--so was the secret passage door she had discovered behind the heavy red drapery at the back of the room. She couldn't get out of this room to run for it—Houji had a gun, and he would keep firing until there were no more bullets. She wouldn't put it past him, as he was Shishio's 'right hand' man, to have more bullets at hand inside his coat.  
  
A trickle of cold sweat ran down the side of Kaoru's cheek. It all had to be done precisely at the right moment.  
  
Taking another deep, silent breath, Kaoru glanced up.  
  
And saw Houji's leering face glaring down at her. "Found you," he snarled, raising his gun.  
  
--------------------  
  
9:45 am  
  
Sanosuke slammed down his fist onto a table that Tae had just wiped. "That _bastard_—that fucking _asshole!_ So he thinks he just walk off like that—without even explaining anything to anyone!"  
  
Tae rushed to Sanosuke's side, wringing a wet dishtowel in her hands. "Sanosuke--please calm down—don't break the store's things—"  
  
Sanosuke paid no heed to her, throwing down a bowl of half-eaten rice and smashing his fist into another plate. "He told us we were going to Kyoto _with_ him, goddammit!"  
  
Tsubame fearfully stepped back, throwing her pale arms around her face as another plate of food flew through the air. "Tae-san—I'm scared..."  
  
Sano swung his muscular arm through the air and smashed it in the back of a seat. "I'm going to Kyoto! I won't rest easy until I've given him one good punch! _Dammit_—he said he wasn't going to leave without us!"  
  
Angrily, Sano swiveled on his heel and stormed out of the Akabeko, white jacket flying behind him. As he stepped out of the doorway, he kicked a stray tub at a passerby, then stormed down the road.  
  
Tsubame lowered her arms from her face and turned to the poor, destroyed table where Sano had been sitting earlier. "He was awfully rough..." she said quietly.  
  
Tae bent down to retrieve a few shards of a plate from the ground, her white apron creasing. "Yes, he was," Tae acknowledged, straightening up again and placing the white shards onto the table. "And he left without paying again. But I can't believe that Ken-san left to wander again—I thought he would stay at the dojo for good."  
  
Tae wrung the wet dishtowel in her hands and started to clean the table again, while Tsubame started picking up more shards of dishes and bowls. "But, Tsubame, I do kind of understand that Ken-san left...because of Kaoru..." Tae bit her lip. "I do hope she's all right..."  
  
The door to the Akabeko swung open again, and Tae glanced up.  
  
Yahiko walked in, his yellow gi and green hakama looking slightly disheveled. "Hey, have you seen Sanosuke?"  
  
"He was just here, wreaking havoc," Tae said, looking worried. "He seemed awfully mad at Ken-san, though."  
  
Yahiko heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I'm in the same boat as he is. I was supposed to come along with Kenshin and Sano, as well. But...well..." He trailed off.  
  
Tsubame dropped the shards of plate she was holding and stepped over to Yahiko. "If you did go, you might have gotten hurt, though..." she said in her quiet, shy voice. "All the same, it's really brave of you..." Tsubame blushed, and fumbled with the bow tie of her apron.  
  
Tsubame's red cheeks mirrored Yahiko's.  
  
A few minutes later, after talking with Tae and Tsubame and thanking them, Yahiko raced out of the Akabeko, looking for Sanosuke. They had to figure out what to do now...  
  
TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: Another chapter done—I guess listening to Rurouni Kenshin instrumental music really does help with the writing. I listened to the sad music for the emotional parts—and the 'fighting' music for the action parts. What a difference music makes... :)  
  
Review Responses:  
  
**Brittanie Love**: I'm glad you think so!  
  
**Assassinatorgirl:** Cliffies are cool, aren't they? Don't worry, this chapter should calm you down enough so that you get out of your locked room—er, after consideration of the events of this chapter...maybe not. Anyway, I'm updating, so now you have to as well! :)  
  
**GoldAngel2**: I'm trying to adjust my story to fit in Shishio's time frame—contorting the events and times enough so that it's plausible to have happened in Nobuhiro Watsuki's original Kyoto Arc plot. I'm glad the times aren't too much for this story, as not a lot of other authors seem to use them :).  
  
**Whisper of Darkness:** Emotion and action are the two key points I'm aiming for in this story, overall. I'm glad you're catching that! Actually, I'm seriously thinking of changing the genre of this fic to Romance/Action/Adventure. Or maybe angst...I can't decide!  
  
**Rurouni madness**: Hmm...disco ball? Yeah, it does sound kind of '70's. Too bad I can't think of any other good metaphors :). There are so many other people who write so well on that I doubt my own work, but you've stuck with me all this time. Thanks!  
  
**Laura**: Hi again! You'll see what evil intentions Houji's going to swipe out from his sleeve in the next chapter as well...  
  
**Emerald Genie**: It's so great that this is one of your favorite stories! :) Good luck with the extreme heat conditions--I know how that can be.


	15. A Candle Flame Extinguished rated R

* * *

Author's Note: And now I will update, after taking a much-needed rest of one month. Th' truth is, I've been feeling a little sore about my writing—ever since I printed out 'A Cloak of Protection' to read over. Is it possible to flinch so much as you're reading a bunch of words printed on a large sheaf of papers? Corny writing, OOC characters, and much more. I don't know—that's just my opinion. (Or maybe that's just how the author feels while looking through his or her stories...) 

**For violence and gore, this chapter is rated R.** This is just a warning, but if you have a weak stomach, try to skim over the parts, okay? The next chapter will also have gore and blood—just a warning...(but the storyline of Rurouni Kenshin is so riddled with gore and violence already, this shouldn't be a problem to you guys).

Disclaimer: I have no claim over Rurouni Kenshin whatsoever, but this story plot is mine (not counting the events of the Kyoto Arc).

Review Responses:

**GoldAngel2**: For the soundtracks, I have the Vol. 1 original soundtrack and the Rurouni Kenshin Theatrical soundtrack. The latter has such beautiful, soft music and I recommend that to a high degree. :) You can buy these online. And even though I keep saying this, I'll try to find the time to read your sequel and the main story. Thanks!

**Assassinatorgirl:** Really? I wasn't too sure about the fight and whether they were in character or not. Thanks! And, um... Houji x Shishio?? Holding hands and running through a field of flowers? Just a little hard to imagine... ;) Well, here's the next update! (Will you write another fic?)

**Lady-Kenshin-Himura**: I'm glad you like this story! Yeah, Kenshin's one of my fave characters as well...

**Chai Girl**: I wasn't sure if this fic had a good storyline or not, but you've helped quell my fears. :) And about your question about whether Misao, Aoshi, and the Oniwanbanshuu will make an appearance: yes. Yes, they will—in future chapters. In fact, Misao and Aoshi are coming up in the next few ones. One person asked if Misao would make an appearance—that's about similar to your question, so I guess... yes, the question has been partly asked already. :) Don't worry!

**Namaida**: It's great that you enjoy this fic! Here's the next update!

**Rurouni madness**: Hmmm...Houji trying to kill Kaoru? You're partly right—I did use it for action and emotional drama. ;) However, there are other explanations for this unlikely behavior, which you will read about in this chapter. They might not explain the whole picture—of why Houji attacked Kaoru—but there you go, I'm really just a beginner :). Well, thanks for the awe-inspiring comments!

**Lachwen**: Really? That makes me so happy :). Darn, I can't stop throwing around smiley faces. Here's the next chapter, and let's hope you think it's as good as the previous chapter...

**Whisper of Darkness**: Emotional action scenes will take up a great deal of space in this fic—I'll just warn you right now! :)

**WhiteRabbit5**: Yeah, I agree a lot of the characters are OOC—after reading through my own fic. Don't worry about hurrying to read; there'll be about 40 more chapters to trudge through before we reach the end of this particular path ;). Thanks for reading!

**Kiche**: Wow—my writing doesn't seem corny and bad to you? Well, all of that aside—I'm glad you think the plot's awesome!

Last Chapter: (I'm sorry! The author notes are really long for this update, but it's been so long since I last updated that you all probably forgot what happened in the previous chapter—though it would be better if you read it again, because I throw around little tidbits of information that are crucial to note later on in the story.)

Sanosuke walks back from Katsu's home to the Kamiya dojo, only to find Kenshin's farewell note and a distraught Yahiko. Angrily, he runs off, first to the Akabeko to furiously inform Tae and Tsubame of what had just happened, and then bolts out of the door again to who knows where. Meanwhile, Yahiko searches for Sanosuke...

As all of this is happening, Kaoru and Houji are engaged in a major showdown—Houji armed with his gun, Kaoru with her bokken. And the victor hasn't been decided yet...

* * *

**A Cloak of Protection**

**Chapter 15: A Candle Flame Extinguished**

**DAY THREE—9:00am**

The scenery whizzed by beyond the open window set into the wall of the carriage. He could glimpse a blur of green leafy trees and, occasionally, the earthy colors of the townspeople's clothes, as the carriage rolled by, rattling and bouncing on the crunchy gravel road. This carriage was heading to Himura's place, where Okubo would get his answer on whether or not Kenshin would head to Kyoto to finish Shishio off.

Okubo sat himself up straighter on the carriage's bench and drew in a breath of the warm air inside the carriage. His large, warm hands knotted themselves together as his thoughts turned to Himura Kenshin once more. _The fate of Japan is riding on Himura-kun's shoulders alone_, he thought tensely, firmly laying his nervous hands on his lap in an effort to calm them. _He alone has the ability to stop Makoto Shishio, given his past as the Hitokiri Battousai_.

_Himura-kun _must_ think of the people of Japan, and consider his answer wisely. He mustn't answer rashly, for Japan is at stake, what with Shishio about to unleash his awesome power upon us._

Without his knowing, his entwined fingers had started fiddling nervously again, and a small drop of cold sweat trailed down the side of his left temple, disappearing into the coarse hair of his brown beard and mustache. In an attempt to calm down, he thought to himself almost desperately, _Saitou Hajime also has incredible power; he just falls a few steps short of Kenshin-kun's awesome ability._

Then why did Okubo still have this uneasy feeling boiling up inside him? It was almost as if he were back in the Bakumatsu, where everywhere you went, you felt cool murderer eyes on the back of your head, assessing you for a potential kill. This was enough to keep the hair on the back of your neck standing permanently on end, and for your palms to constantly sweat with fear.

Okubo trained his steady gaze onto the solid wall of the carriage before him, where on the other side, the driver guided the horse to Himura-kun's residence. A jarring jolt shook the tiny carriage as the rolling wheels bounced over a particularly large rock, and Okubo had to grasp the sides of the carriage for balance.

A cold breeze wafted through the window at that second, and after the carriage had stopped rattling so violently, Okubo stretched out a hand to pull the blue window curtain closed. Turning, he proceeded to do the same to the other window. Now the carriage was filled with a dim, bluish light, enclosing Okubo in the loneliness and containment of the carriage.

Trying not to mind the rattling of the carriage, Okubo let out a tense sigh and diverted his mind from Himura and the possible fate of Japan. His hands loosened in his lap and finally they lay calm, as he cleared his mind. Soon they would arrive at Himura's, and he would have nothing to worry about. Of course Himura-kun would take down Shishio _permanently_, if for the sake of Japan and for the young maiden he seemed to care so strongly for.

The clicking noise of the door handle turning brought Okubo alert, thinking that the carriage had finally arrived at Himura's home and the driver was opening the carriage door for him. But—he then registered this with a sharp jolt—the carriage was still rattling and moving over the gravelly path..._they hadn't arrived yet...!_

_But then—!_

A childish voice rang through the tiny carriage, stopping Okubo's frantic thoughts. "Now, don't struggle, and this will end quickly and with as little pain as possible for you." At the end of the sentence, the voice's pitch seemed to rise, as if the speaker were smiling.

_Smiling!_

Okubo jerked his head to the side of the carriage where the voice was coming from, but before his chin had even moved two centimeters, a slender hand had grabbed it and clamped callused fingers over his mouth.

As the fingers with the calluses tightened, digging into his skin, Okubo thought, _I know of these types of calluses—calluses formed from handling _swords!

Before he could focus his eyes, something that felt thick and wide ripped through his stomach and plunged out of his back, sticking into the carriage wall behind him.

It took a few seconds for the pain to reach him.

The world filled with a flaming red, exploding with waves of red fire. Distantly he felt himself gag as hot blood filled his mouth and gushed out beyond his parted lips.

The suffocating, blinding red filled his eyes until the harsh glare was almost unbearable. Then, blessedly, the red sank away into the coolness of darkness, and he knew no more.

* * *

**9:15 am**

The screeching of the horse pulling the carriage and the driver's panicked yells filled the now empty street, as Soujirou clicked open the door handle and easily leaped out to the ground. Taking a last look behind him, he flicked a few drops of blood off the blade of his sword and exhaled, feeling a smile light up his face. He had taken care of Okubo Toshimichi, at Shishio-san's command.

Their plan actually was very complex, Soujirou thought, as he walked away from the carriage. Shishio-san's main goal was to acquire the feared title of the greatest and most powerful creature there was. Himura-san stood in his way, already bearing the title.

However, Soujirou mused, Shishio-san also had another reason to get rid of Himura-san. If Shishio-san _were_ able to climb to the very top, Soujirou knew Himura-san would find a way to bring him back down, knowing Himura-san's rurouni ways. Spying on the former hitokiri and public officials who knew Himura-san had certainly aided in his overall knowledge of him, added to Shishio-san's knowledge of him as well. That was how they were able to base their plan on wounding Himura-san, by first taking the girl he seemed to care for a lot.

It would be a long, rocky road set for Himura-san, Soujirou thought. They had a few...surprises... in store for him, all of which Soujirou was betting Himura-san would not enjoy very much.

Himura-san would not be particularly happy to hear of this certain surprise, either. From what Soujirou had heard, Himura-san seemed to respect Okubo Toshimichi a great deal. But they had to kill Okubo—it was a grave warning to Himura-san that he mustn't interfere with their other plans for Japan, other than fighting against Shishio-san.

Soujirou would have to get that piece of warning to Himura-san, soon.

Then a sharp cry rose Soujirou from his thoughts. He noticed that while he had been thinking about Shishio-san's plans, he had been standing dead still near the path for who knew how long. Calmly stepping away from the carriage that had Okubo Toshimichi's corpse sitting inside, Soujirou stole a quick glance behind him.

The driver of the carriage was now a good distance away from the carriage. No doubt he had gotten a good look at the warm, crimson blood dripping from the end of Soujirou's sword, and hastily ran off.

The ends of Soujirou's mouth curled upwards, and he flicked the blood off his blade before sliding it back into the sheath. With another glance behind him, he stepped off the gravel, hearing more people coming up the road.

* * *

**9:30 am**

The small group of disgruntled ex-samurai trudged up the road, crunching in the strewns of gravel lying on the path. They had nowhere to go, nothing to do...they were broke and without jobs. The only time they could get jobs was when they were hired to kill someone, or to stand as warriors for an important figure. But all of these jobs leaned on the criminal side of the line. Whenever any one of them got caught whilst doing his job, he was sent without questions to the jail. It was as simple as that.

And it was as simple as starving.

Up ahead, an abandoned carriage sat lonely on the road, horseless and driverless. Marked for the important heads of Japan, it was a strange sight to see this regal carriage so carelessly abandoned on the path.

The group of ragged sword carriers plodded their way slowly up the road, dragging their feet tiredly and bitterly wishing that the reform had never happened—at least they had had jobs and money, and with that, nourishment.

A few moments later, they had reached the carriage and were passing it. Curious, one samurai tilted his head to glance beyond the thin blue cloth of the window curtain. The silhouette behind the blue curtain made the samurai stop in his tracks and squint his eyes for a better glance, sure that he must be mistaken.

He would know that man's shape and profile anywhere—it was embedded forcefully in his mind, burning with a red-hot hatred. The one that had helped the reform to pass. The one that had taken away all of the samurai's jobs. The one that had _rendered them weak and almost useless_ in this peaceful time.

Okubo Toshimichi. Sitting upright in the carriage. _Defenseless._

The samurai gripped the shiny handle of the carriage door and whipped his head around to yell at his fellow samurai. "It's Okubo Toshimichi! It's him! At last, an opportunity for us to _kill him for what he did to us samurai!_"

The others halted in their tracks and turned, surprise lifting their faces. Then, as the ex-samurai at the carriage made to jerk down the door handle, vengeful gleams danced in the others' eyes and they sped back to the abandoned carriage, reaching with rough hands for their swords.

With a loud click, the samurai whipped the door open and prepared to leap inside. But just as he was about to swing himself around the door and into the carriage, something large and heavy toppled out and struck the gravelly ground with great force.

The group of men gasped as Okubo's bloody corpse stared up at them all. The dead eyes were wide open, revealing the pearly whites. A thin river of red liquid trickled from the slightly parted lips into the trim, brown beard.

Ghastliest of all was the body's internal muscles and guts peeking out from beyond the two sliced flaps of abdominal skin—all bathed in dark blood.

The samurai who had initially discovered Okubo felt dark fury building up in him. Just when they were about to kill him—when someone had gotten to him first!

"Someone else killed him!" the small group of ex-samurai yelled, their eyes fixed on the corpse collapsed on the ground. "And not too long ago at that!

"Then let's just say _we_ killed him, for the sake of all the starving, jobless samurai!" the small group roared as one. In unison, the men lifted their swords and ran to the corpse lying on the ground.

The horrible sounds filled the air—thuds of blades thrusting into skin and then being pulled back out to once more slice into the corpse of Okubo Toshimichi. The smell of hot, flowing blood wafted along the men's nostrils, and the bloodlust made them only pound even more relentlessly at the body that lay helpless to their merciless slaughter.

At last, the group stepped back, each man splashed with droplets of scarlet and panting from exertion. Thick, heavy streams of dark red blood trickled all along the road, and huge puddles of it swam at their feet.

The source of all the blood lay in the middle of the group. Torn flesh all along the bloody body revealed exposed, shining muscle; slivers and chunks of broken white bone jutted out from the skin; dark, gleaming guts spilled from the stomach area. The remains of Okubo Toshimichi's body were virtually lying in a bloodbath.

Satisfied, the blood-spattered men turned away from their kill and left their most hated man to lie in his own blood and guts. "Served him right!" one of them murmured, cleaning the blood off his blade with one rough, dirty finger...

* * *

**10:00 am**

"Found you," Houji snarled, raising his gun.

Without missing another beat, Kaoru unthinkingly flung herself to the side just as another smoking shot rang through the room. Landing on her left side, she held her bokken above her head and rolled out from behind the couch to spread out the impact. A line of rapid bullets followed her, zooming dangerously over her head and burying themselves into the walls.

No exit, no place to escape...Kaoru raised her chin to glance in every direction. And there was nowhere to run to, either.

As Kaoru scanned the room, her gaze fell on the velvety red curtains draped in front of the secret passage door. If only that door were unlocked...

Another whizzing bullet flashed by her, and Kaoru ducked out from it just in time. As she hastily darted out from another one, the slight whispers of a plan began to form in her head. _If only..._

Then she had to get it _unlocked_. If some more of those bullets that Houji kept firing at her were aimed at the _lock_ of the door, destroying it, maybe the door would crack open for her.

Once the door was open, Kaoru would dart into its passage and to whatever it led to. She just hoped she wouldn't be ending up in a dead end, or...

She closed her eyes for a moment. She would not think negative for now. That would just bring her down. But first, she had to get Houji out from behind the couch, so that she could safely (well, the least dangerous way she could manage, given the circumstances) enter the area near the secret passage door and set her plan into motion. By her hurried observations of him, he seemed to be a pretty good gunman, but he were to be wielding a sword instead, he wouldn't stand a chance against her and her bokken.

If he could aim, that was all for the better. Kaoru was depending on his aiming skill for her 'plan' to work.

Another jarring gunshot made her jump and move quickly away from where she had been standing earlier. Turning her head to the left, she saw Houji run out from behind the yellow couch and limp toward her, aiming the gun straight at her heart. A horrible smile was pasted on his face—a triumphant smile.

Kaoru almost scoffed at him. How could he still think he would triumph over her, after all of his failed attempts and her whacks at him? He was definitely not cut out to be a swordsman. Perhaps she herself would teach him.

With a slight smile, Kaoru dismissed the thought. He wasn't worthy of her teaching, she decided, if you counted in his endless greed for power and money. Kamiya Kasshin Ryu wasn't fit for this power-seeking man.

Clicking his finger over the trigger of the smoking gun, Houji prepared to shoot another bullet at her again. "Stop causing trouble for me and just stay still!"

* * *

**10:10 am**

Bitch.

Houji knew she was trouble from the very start. That was why he was trying to wound her now—he wanted to wound her seriously enough so that she wouldn't be so troublesome.

It seemed as if all she did was meddle in their carefully constructed plans. Tying him up, treating him as the one _being _kidnapped—surely they had to squash her down, reduce her to where she really stood among their plans. She was only useful for that Battousai to come and fight against Shishio-sama for the ultimate title. Otherwise, Battousai probably wouldn't even think of coming.

Oh, Houji wouldn't think of killing that pesky raven-haired girl, who stood in front of him now, panting and readying her wooden sword in both hands. That would completely go against Shishio-sama's plans for her. No, he had to keep her alive. But surely he was allowed to push the plans a little. He would keep her alive—barely. Battousai would still be enraged—it would create the same result he and Shishio-sama both wanted.

And another benefit of wounding her? She would stay quiet and think twice of doing stupid things like tying him up. No, that wasn't smart at all. That wouldn't do.

He would have to teach her a lesson.

* * *

**10:15 am**

Breathless and cheeks tinted pink from running, Yahiko dashed up the gravel road to where a huge crowd was gathered around a carriage. _What happened? Why's everyone standing here? What's that carriage doing there?_

As Yahiko got closer, handfuls of people near him were sobbing into each other's shoulders or wiping streaming tears from their eyes. _What happened?! Why are those people crying?_

As Yahiko strode purposefully toward the crowd around the carriage, a hand reached out and took hold of his yellow, black-checked gi. "Don't go over there, boy," a man said hoarsely. "'Tis a horrible sight for a young 'un to see."

'_Young?!' _Impatient, Yahiko tugged his sleeve away and kept striding forward, until he reached the tight ring of people around the carriage.

Yahiko shoved his way through the shocked and murmuring crowd, and squeezed his way past two enormously large women, until he got to the center of the crowd.

And what he saw wasn't pretty.

Several policemen were directing the crowd to back up and leave the area, but Yahiko stood there, his feet frozen to the gravel ground. A few yards in front of him, something bloody lay underneath a mat. A hand that looked vaguely familiar poked out from under the mat, fingers and nails lined with red blood.

Yahiko couldn't wrench his eyes away from the bloody sight. As he stared, a couple behind him murmured to each other, "The poor man. Okubo-kyo...they said he was stabbed countless times..."

Yahiko's eyes snapped open. Okubo? Okubo...Toshimichi? The man that had come to the dojo to break up the fight between Saitou and Kenshin? Later on, Kenshin had mentioned something about this Okubo guy—that he was going to come to the dojo again the day after to find out what Kenshin's decision was.

Had he been on his way to doing that just this morning?

Yahiko swallowed back a huge lump in his throat. His coming to the dojo had not been needed—but he had been murdered nevertheless...

He had seen enough. As a police officer waved an arm at him to go, Yahiko dazedly turned and shoved his way back through the crowd.

It wasn't until he had walked past the group of sobbing mourners that someone knocked into him—hard. Yahiko would have stumbled and fallen had he not caught himself abruptly.

Indignant, the spiky-haired boy whirled around and started to yell, "Hey, what th'—" but was stopped by a hand clamping down onto his shoulder.

The hand belonged to a guy around his height, dressed in a blue gi with a dark blue collar and billowing dark blue hakama. On his face he wore a huge grin that stretched from ear to ear, and his smiling eyes were crinkled in laughter.

Yahiko couldn't believe it. All of these people crying for Okubo's death, but this guy was just standing there smiling at him? It pissed him off. "What th' hell do _you_ want?" Yahiko curtly asked the smiling boy. "I _do _have somewhere to go, ya know."

The boy tightened his hand on Yahiko's shoulder until Yahiko couldn't move. "You should really take a moment to listen to the people around you," the boy smilingly informed him. "And what I have to say will take only a moment."

Impatient, Yahiko tried to shrug away the boy's hand, but succeeded in only wrenching his shoulder and neck. _Aw hell, this guy's strong!_

"Know this, I was the one who killed that last member of the Ishin Sanketsu. And—" The boy cut himself off abruptly at Yahiko's confused expression. Then he gave a warm chuckle. "Okubo Toshimichi—he was involved with your Himura-san."

Yahiko's mind lurched, and he could only stare straight ahead as Okubo Toshimichi's killer continued speaking.

"Are you wondering why we killed him? It was a warning to Himura-san, a warning not to interfere with any of Shishio-san's plans except for the fight planned for him. Otherwise, more people will get hurt." The boy paused for a second, and then added thoughtfully, "Even you, you know. If you try to foil Shishio-san's plans as well, the same thing will happen to you. None of Shishio's enemies ever end up alive, in the end."

Yahiko's chin tightened. "And why are you telling me this buncha crap?" he questioned the smiling boy. "How didja know I was gonna—"

The boy gave another warm chuckle. "Remember this—we have eyes everywhere," he answered with a wink. "Pass on this message to anyone else that might try to interfere with our plans. _They will get hurt_."

The pressure on Yahiko's shoulder suddenly lifted, and he turned to see the boy striding happily off, a spring in his step.

_What the hell was that all about? Was that guy...one of Shishio's men?_

Gingerly reaching up a hand to rub his shoulder where the boy had clenched it, Yahiko noticed something moist on his fingers. Bewildered, Yahiko brought his hand back down to see what it was.

Smudges of bright red blood gleamed on his fingertips. Okubo Toshimichi's blood. _So that guy _was _telling the truth._ _When he killed the guy, he probably got blood all over his hands._

_So his other warning was also true._

Suddenly the air felt very, very cold.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Author's Note: Not much happening in this chapter—only Okubo Toshimichi's death and a little bit of what's happening at the Temple of Six Arches. Hopefully, I'll tie that up by the end of the next chapter. 

A little note: Constructive criticism is being asked again! Throughout the last couple of chapters, I got so bigheaded that my writing faltered, so now I'm keeping myself in line. So, constructive criticism from all you guys will be highly appreciated, and now I'll shut up to type the next chapter :). Hopefully, this chapter wasn't too bad...

-Twilight Sky


	16. Quick Author's Note

I'm BAAACK!

(I'm not dead.)

I apologize profusely to those who had been waiting for the next chapter. In fact, it had been almost two years since I had last updated a chapter! Truth be told, it was two years ago when I entered high school. My transition from middle school to high school had been in fact difficult as I had been bombarded by peer pressure, the advent of more abundant homework in high school, meeting new people, trying to find my way around the campus, avoiding the impertinent attitudes of the seniors, etc… my perspective as a freshman. Well, now that I am a sophomore, I've dispelled most of my problems, gotten through the transition, and have had spare time on my hands… but never gotten around to updating. And for that, I apologize. I myself have found it annoying when an author had stopped updating chapters entirely, and admit that I have fallen into this category. Truth be told, I had almost forgotten about this site. When I logged in today, I even forgot my password!

I had been halfway through the next chapter a month after I last updated, but neglected to finish. I'll try to find it and put it up for you all.

Thank you, one more time, to those who have waited patiently!

Twilight Sky


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